


Would You Rather...

by WindInYourSail



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2020-07-20 02:23:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19984489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindInYourSail/pseuds/WindInYourSail
Summary: “This is what we’re doing then?”“You started it.”“I did not, you did.”“No, I asked a question starting with would you rather, you turned it into a thing.” Alice smiled and took a sip of her drink when Rafael scowled slightly. “Would you rather never be right but have everyone think you are or always be right and have no one acknowledge it?”





	1. Chapter 1

Rafael wandered around his apartment, wondering why he subjected himself to this every year... the obligation party he threw at his home during summer. While he hated playing politics it was a necessary evil if he ever hoped to become a judge one day. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure it was his goal as much as his abuelita’s. If he were being completely honest with himself he liked his role in the courtroom and when it came time for a change he always pictured the shift being toward academia. Still, with her gone, he couldn’t bring himself to completely dismiss the idea of becoming a judge at some point and it was either be well known enough to possibly be appointed or run for an elected position. Somehow rubbing elbows seemed less stressful than going through an election.

He dodged a few stragglers from the DA’s office in his effort to escape to his home office for a bit. The party was winding down, only Fin, Carisi, and Rollins left from SVU... Liv had headed home a while ago to relieve Lucy. He was curious as to Rollins arrangement with her own kid, but not enough to ask. The few people left from his own office were mostly low lying fish, ones trying to talk their way into his good graces, not the other way around, so hiding in his office felt like a decent enough plan. He quickly snuck into the room while locking the door behind him and was rather surprised to find a woman sitting on his couch.

“Oh...” the woman glanced up at him, “this is your place right?”

She was pretty in a girl next door kind of way with wavy brown hair that fell to just below her shoulder blades, her makeup subtle, mostly accenting her eyes which were a striking blue almost matching her cobalt blue cocktail dress.

“It is.” Rafael stated.

“I’m sorry,” she smiled, “I know the office is off limits but I just needed to be alone for a moment. I promise I’ve only been on my phone.”

The woman held it up to show that she was reading through an article as if to prove she was telling him the truth.

“It’s fine, I guess.” He sighed, too tired of people to bother with much more. Instead, he sank into the space on the couch next to her.

“Your place is nice.”

“Who are you?” His tone wasn’t harsh, more curious.

“Alice, and you are?”

“You’re in my home, yet you don’t know who I am?” Rafael lifted a brow.

“I came with someone.” Alice shrugged.

“You’re hiding from your date then.” This idea amused him and he gave her a bit of a side eye.

“I’m his date, but it’s not a date.”

“I don’t follow.”

“He asked me to come along because he was afraid the woman he’s interested in would have a date... Sonny and I are friends.”

“You came with Carisi?”

“You still haven’t told me who you are.”

“Carisi didn’t tell you my name?”

“No, he just pointed when we got here saying it was your place, and then dragged me towards the bar.”

“That was rude of him.” Rafael smirked.

“Seriously,” she chuckled lightly smacking the back of her hand against his arm, “give me something.”

“I’m Rafael.”

“Well it’s nice to meet you Rafael,” Alice smiled. “Why are you hiding in your office at your own party?”

“I needed a break from people.”

“I get that... if you want to be alone I can...”

He could tell she was going to offer to leave so he spoke before she could. “You want a drink?” Rafael stood and moved to the cabinet behind his desk setting two of the tumblers upright.

“Sure.” She watched as he poured the amber liquid in each and carried them back, handing one to her.

“You and Carisi are friends?”

“We tried dating a few years back, but for the most part we’re friends now.” Alice shrugged.

“For the most part?” His brow was elevated above one eye again and she seemed amused by it, she smiled at least.

“We will occasionally sleep together. It’s a convenience thing... just scratching an itch if we’re both single.”

“Friends with benefits then.” Rafael nodded while bringing the tumbler to his lips.

“I figure it’s safer than picking up someone at a bar right? At least I know Sonny.” Alice shrugged.

“So, tonight... you and Carisi?”

“No, not tonight.”

“You’re not single then?”

“I’m single,” Alice chuckled, “I just don’t like feeling like a consolation fuck.”

“A consolation fuck?” Rafael side eyed her again.

“He’s out there pining for his partner, who apparently won’t even entertain the idea of the two of them... he doesn’t then get to take me home while wishing I was her.”

“Carisi likes Rollins?” Rafael grinned a little larger than he meant to, but quickly corrected it.

“It’s not like she doesn’t know.” Alice chuckled.

“You don’t feel like a consolation prize when he calls you up after working with her all day?” Rafael asked, his eyes softening as he looked at her.

“I do now...” Alice grumbled, tossing back what was left of her drink and handing him the empty glass.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

Rafael stood and refilled both drinks. When he returned he stretched out a bit on the couch, his left arm across the back behind Alice, though purposefully not touching her, and his feet propped up on the coffee table.

“Comfy?” Alice smirked.

“I am.” He smirked back.

Alice softly chuckled and leaned back, nestling herself close to his side as her head rested back on his shoulder and upper arm. “Are you single?”

“Would it stop you from cuddling against me if I weren’t?”

“Yes.”

“I’m single.” He replied, allowing the corners of his lips to curl up slightly when she didn’t move away from him.

“Would you rather be in a bad relationship or remain single?”

“I’d rather be single. What’s the point of staying in a relationship that doesn’t work?”

“Sex.” Alice grinned.

“You don’t have to be in relationship to get laid... your arrangement with Carisi proves that.”

“This is true...”

“Would you rather be in a bad relationship with amazing sex or a good relationship with terrible sex?” Rafael smirked.

“How good is the relationship?”

“It’s perfect... ideal.”

“It can’t be that ideal if the sex is bad.” She smiled up at him and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Say it is.”

“I’d take the good relationship... You can always improve sex if both parties are willing.” Alice shrugged. “Would you rather...”

“This is what we’re doing then?”

“You started it.”

“I did not, you did.”

“No I asked a question starting with would you rather, you turned it into a thing.” Alice smiled and took a sip of her drink when Rafael scowled slightly. “Would you rather never be right but have everyone think you are or always be right and have no one acknowledge it?”

“The latter, because at least I’d know I was right.” He huffed.

“Someone’s bitter.” She giggled.

“Would you rather play a ridiculous game with a complete stranger or have your friend not be interested in his partner?”

Rafael made eye contact when she looked up at him, both holding it longer than was probably necessary.

“I have no romantic interest in Sonny.”

“But you sleep with him.”

“Sometimes...”

“Were you hoping to sleep with Carisi tonight?”

“No. I knew why he invited me.” Alice shrugged, breaking their eye contact.

“Why come then?”

“I thought I might meet someone.”

“And...”

“I’d rather be playing a ridiculous game with a complete stranger.” She lifted a brow at him and finished off her drink.

“I’ll get us a refill then.” Rafael smiled as he took the tumbler from her and made his way behind his desk again, topping off both their glasses.

“What about you?”

“What about me?” He questioned, handing her her tumbler again as he resumed his position from before.

“Would you have rather found your office empty or be doing what we’re doing now?”

“I’d have kicked you out a long time ago if I wasn’t enjoying your company.” Rafael smirked.

Alice lightly blushed and brought the scotch he had given her to her lips, drawing a long drink from it in an effort to hide.

“Careful,” he smiled while stopping her, “it’ll sneak up on you.”

“It’s not the only thing...” She whispered and Rafael chuckled softly.

“What do you do?”

“I’m a plastic surgeon.”

“So your day is filled with face lifts and boob jobs?” He looked at her face with more discerning eyes, but only found fine lines and what appeared to be normal aging... nothing to indicate an attempt to slow the process.

“Technically it’s breast augmentation,” she smiled, “and some days... but mostly I live in the world of reconstructive surgery; burn survivors, cleft palates, birth defects... traumatic injuries. I’m on staff at Mercy, not in private practice, so a lot of what I see is emergency cases.”

“I was almost certain you were going to tell me you were taking night classes with Carisi.”

“Law school’s so... stodgy.” Alice made a face and Rafael chuckled. “What do you do?”

“I’m a prosecutor.” He smirked.

“Oh... you’re Barba.”

“Carisi has mentioned me then.”

“You’ve come up in conversation, but you’re not what I was expecting.”

“Do I want to know?” Rafael lifted a brow.

“I thought you’d be older and more cantankerous.” Alice smiled.

“Thanks.” He laughed while bringing his drink to his lips.

“Sonny never actually mention your age, just made you out to be experienced which I translated to older.”

“I am technically older.”

“Not as old as I had decided you were.” She chuckled.

“I can’t say Carisi has mentioned you.”

“Why would he?” Alice furrowed her brow.

“I feel like I would have.” He said, smirking when she looked up at him.

“I doubt that.” She took a sip of her drink, setting it on a coaster when her phone vibrated and reached for her purse.

“Why?” Rafael set his own tumbler on the coffee table and watched as she glanced at the message on her phone.

“You don’t strike me as the type to mix your personal life with work.”

“Is it important?” He gestured to her phone.

“Possibly, but I’m not on call and I’ve been drinking.” Alice sent a text back and set her phone on the table next to her drink.

Rafael was no longer leaning back on the couch, his feet now resting on the floor, and this woman he had stumbled upon in his home office was still sitting close to him... excruciatingly close considering how much he wanted to pull her onto his lap and kiss her. He decided to test the waters by running his hand through her hair and was pleased to see her eyes meet his when he did. He started to close the space between them, but Alice pushed up faster, crashing her lips into his. Their tongues collided as he pulled her so that she straddled his thighs and tangled his fingers in her hair closer to her scalp.

“How does your arrangement with Carisi work?” Rafael panted pulling back to look at her again.

“What do you mean?”

“If you were to start seeing someone... how serious would you have to be with that someone to stop sleeping with him?”

“If I agree to go out with someone I wouldn’t have sex with anyone else.”

Rafael’s hand was still tangled in her hair and they were both intensely staring at the other. “Can I take you to dinner tomorrow?”

“Yes.” Alice leaned forward, kissing him again.

Rafael could feel her fingers working at his tie, tugging it free and dropping it to the floor. He searched for the zipper on her dress when the buttons on his shirt began to loosen. He barely had the dress unzipped when he felt his phone vibrate from the back pocket of his slacks.

“I’m sorry.” He exhaled, lifting enough to liberate the phone, but not move her from his lap. “Barba.” He half panted when answering the phone without bothering to look at who was calling.

“Hey Barba, it’s Carisi.”

A twinge of guilt ran through him as he glanced at the disheveled appearance of the woman whose fingers were seizing an opportunity to reach between them to unfasten his slacks. The woman that he hoped beyond anything at the moment was telling him the truth about her relationship with Carisi...

“What did you need?” He had to focus to keep his voice from sounding strained.

“Rollins and I are the only two left and we were about to leave. Where are you?”

“I decided to work on some stuff in my office. Can you do me a favor and lock the little lock on the doorknob when you leave?”

“I told you he was working.” He heard Rollins chuckle from Carisi’s end.

“Oh, ok. Sure.” Carisi replied to Rafael’s request, not acknowledging Rollins... at least not verbally anyway.

“Anything else?” His voiced hitched higher as Alice unexpectedly ran her hand along his length. He widened his eyes at her in annoyance, but she coyly bit her lip and smiled at him.

“You ok?”

“Yeah, just hit my knee on the desk.” Rafael grumbled.

“Oh, ok. Bye counselor.”

“Bye.” Rafael ended the call and made eye contact with Alice again. “Thanks for that.”

“You’re welcome.” She smirked, pushing his suspenders off his shoulders as she leaned forward to kiss him again.

He could taste the scotch on her tongue as it muddled with his own and her adept hands were sliding inside his shirt as she untucked it from his slacks. When her fingers grazed back up his chest, continuing upward to caress his cheek as they kissed, he wrapped his arm around her and tugged her closer.

“I should get that.” Alice panted when her phone vibrated against the wood of the coffee table. She glanced at the screen and shook her head. “Hey Sonny.”

“You sound out of breath. Is everything ok?” It was muffled, but Rafael was close enough to hear Carisi.

“Everything’s fine.” She smiled, running her hand through Rafael’s hair.

“You left early.”

“I got bored.” Alice shrugged, despite the fact that he couldn’t see her.

“You sound awake, I could bring a movie over.”

“I already told you that wasn’t happening tonight.”

“Yeah, I know... but...”

“Sonny,” she sighed.

“We could actually watch the movie... maybe talk?”

Alice rolled her eyes and Rafael wondered if Carisi had tried that line before. “I’m not home.”

There was a moment of silence before Carisi spoke again. “So I’m interrupting...”

“A little bit, yes.” She chuckled and Rafael relaxed slightly. At least he knew she wasn’t hiding the fact that she was with another man, which lead him to believe what she had told him previously about their arrangement was true.

“You never go home with a guy.”

“Can I talk to you about this later?” She had clearly seen him smirk at Carisi’s statement and wanted to end the call before Carisi could let anything slip about her.

“Just... be careful.”

“I promise I’m safe.” Alice smiled at Rafael and slipped the top of her dress off her shoulders revealing her unsupported chest.

“Jesus...” Rafael murmured softly, his hands almost unconsciously reaching for them.

“You just met this person, you can’t promise me you’re safe.”

“I’m pretty sure I can.”

“Alice...” Carisi grumbled.

“For the love of God Carisi, can she call you tomorrow?” Rafael huffed impatiently.

“Barba?”

There was another moment of silence, this one filled with Alice’s amused eyes staring back at Rafael’s wide ones.

“You’re with Barba?” Carisi spoke again and Rafael lowered his hands from her breast.

“I’ve been calling him Rafael.” Alice chuckled, but it didn’t seem out of nervousness... almost as though she were still amused by his outburst.

“Jesus, that’s a relief. I was worried for a minute you went home with some douche lawyer that only wanted in your pants.”

“Like you?” She chuckled again.

“I’m a cop.”

“Goodnight Sonny.”

“Night.”

Alice twisted to set her phone back on the coffee table and then turned to face Rafael again. “Is Sonny a problem?” She asked when his hands didn’t move from her thighs.

“I can’t do anything about your past, but if you sleep with him while we’re together he will be.” His tone had taken on a serious note.

“I meant the friendship... he is my friend.”

“You can be friends with whoever you want.”

“We’re together?” Alice tried to fight back her smirk and Rafael rolled his eyes.

“I just meant I’d like to see where this goes.”

“I feel like I should come with a warning label...” She sighed.

“What else could you possibly need to warn me about?” Rafael furrowed his brow.

“I work insane hours... forty eight hour shifts, nights when I’m on call but not scheduled to be at the hospital though I usually am anyway. I don’t cook. I don’t clean. I have a bit of a God complex... it’s cliche, I know. I...”

“You’re place is a mess?” He asked while lifting a brow.

“No... I use a maid service.”

“Then I haven’t heard any deal breakers.” Rafael slid his hands back to her breast.

“I just want you to have an idea of who I am.”

“Most people learn as they go, it’s part of the fun.” He chuckled, leaning forward to take her nipple in his mouth.

Alice ran her fingers into his hair, watching him, smiling when he glanced up at her. “You want to move this to your room, or keep things tawdry tonight and save the bed for after our first date?”

Rafael chuckled and flicked his tongue against her nipple. “Come on.” He smirked, helping her to stand so he could guide her to his bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

His head was pounding when he woke up, but he hadn’t felt that drunk the night before... he never really drank much when he was surrounded by people from his work. It was a control thing... well... a need to be in total control of himself. It was when he groaned that the bed next to him shifted and the part of the evening where he lost track of how many scotches he had consumed came flooding back to him.

And Alice.

He lifted the covers, peering down at himself, confirming that he was indeed naked while lying next to the woman from his office last night. He remembered having sex... her riding him as he gripped her ass... it was a little foggy, almost dreamlike in retrospect, but the overall experience had been more than enjoyable. Alice was laying with her back to him, her hair covering most of her face, and the majority of his covers stolen and wrapped around her. Rafael remembered thinking she was pretty when he walked into his office and that she seemed to get prettier the more they talked and he got to know her personality. Now he was afraid it may have been his inebriated state making her appear prettier... and the fact that he couldn’t see much of her besides a bare shoulder and a mess of brown hair wasn’t helping his overactive mind. Then a worse thought occurred to him... what if she had been everything he thought she was, but it turned out she was the one with the beer goggles.

Alice shifted to her back and Rafael froze, too panicked to move that he might wake her. The covers shifted below her chest and her arm slung over so that her hand lightly landed on his face. Rafael bit back a chuckle and gently moved her arm so that it rested on the pillow next to him. He then shifted slowly and lifted his head to see if he could see her better. There were still wisps of hair across her face, but to his relief she looked exactly as he expected. Maybe they hadn’t drank that much after all… His gaze fell to her chest and he took in a deep breath. They had been firm and perky and here they were unintentionally on display for him again and they still seemed to be defying gravity even with her flat on her back.

“They’ve had help,” she chuckled and Rafael squinted his eyes tightly shut at that fact that he had been caught blatantly staring at her breast.

“Help?”

“A lift, five years ago... I should have done it sooner...”

“When, in your twenties?” He chuckled making eye contact.

“Yes.” She sighed, elaborating when he gave her a curious look. “My breast were the only thing I hated... I always thought there was something wrong with them because even when I was young they sagged. It wasn’t until I went to med school that I realized I had insufficient glandular tissue, as a plastic surgeon we call it tuberous breast deformity or constricted breast, and with the right plastic surgeon it’s fixable with mild scarring.” She shrugged.

“A confidence booster.” He smiled.

“You have no idea,” she exhaled.

Rafael’s gaze went back to her chest. “You really can’t see a scar at all...”

“You see the darker rings outlining the areolae?”

Rafael leaned in closer. “Yes.”

“Those are my scars, David did a fantastic job. That is one advantage of being a plastic surgeon... I know who does the best work on any particular body part and if you want your breast done, David is who you go to in New York.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He smirked. “Have you had other work done?” He was still staring at her chest when he asked, so he missed if she seemed offended. He couldn’t help his curiosity though.

“No.”

She hadn’t sounded annoyed, but the simple response pulled his eyes to hers. “Your eyes aren’t as blue as last night.”

“Your sheets are gray.” She shrugged.

“And they what, sucked all the color from your eyes?” Rafael chuckled.

“I like how now you’re pretending as though it’s my eyes you’ve been looking at.”

Alice was smiling so Rafael pulled himself so that his face hovered above hers and he could look closer at the coloring of her irises. “There’s specs of green, blue, and even a thin ring of brown surrounding the pupil.”

“It’s a pretty even amount of both blue and green, so depending on what I wear they willtake on different shades of either. Last nights dress was a deep blue and brought out the blue in my eyes. They’ll look green if I wear green, but it’s never as striking as the blue. The thin brown ring doesn’t effect the color, just gives them a bit of depth.”

“And the gray sheets?”

“Suck all the color from my eyes.” She chuckled.

Rafael smiled and pulled her with him as he rolled from hovering above her and back to his side, tugging her against his chest as he did.

“Do you have a spare toothbrush... like from the dentist or something? My breath is...” she exhaled out of her nose, “fetid.”

“Fetid?” Rafael lifted his brow in amusement.

“I doubt yours is much better after all that scotch we drank.” She smiled.

Her mentioning the scotch reminded him of his throbbing head and he groaned. “How’s your head?”

“It’s been better.”

“Come on, I’ll find you a toothbrush.” He was almost certain there was an unopened one sitting in a drawer in his bathroom. It was the backup one he kept on hand after his last electric toothbrush had crapped out on him.

Rafael put on his boxer briefs and tossed her the dress shirt that had been the first article of clothing to find the floor when they got to his room the night before. Alice slipped into his shirt, buttoning the front as she followed him to the bathroom.

“What time is it?” She asked as she stuck the toothbrush in her mouth.

“Ten,” he chuckled while brushing his own teeth. He couldn’t remember the last time he had slept that late.

“Do you have stuff for breakfast or should we go out?”

He watched her spit into his rarely used extra sink and rinse her mouth. “You’d be ok with doing a walk of shame in what is clearly a dress from the night before?” He smirked before rinsing his own mouth.

“I was thinking I could just wear this.” She shrugged, lifting his shirt slightly as if to look at it critically. “Add a belt, obviously actually put my underwear on...”

Rafael rolled his eyes when he realized she was smirking and pulled her against him. “I have breakfast stuff.”

“That’s even better.” Their eyes met and he softly pressed his lips against hers. If she invited herself to stay for breakfast surely she was enjoying his company as much as he was hers.

Rafael’s hands roamed over his shirt and then slipped under it, touching her soft skin as he traced lines on her torso and thighs, enjoying the little groan she gave when he reached to palm her ass.

“What do you typically have for breakfast?” Alice asked while nipping at his neck.

“Coffee,” he inhaled sharply when her hand grazed over him through the material of his underwear, “sometimes toast and eggs.”

Alice pushed up to kiss him again and then took his hand, guiding him out to the hallway outside of his bedroom. Rafael sighed at his growing erection and followed her.

“Don’t worry,” she chuckled, glancing at his crotch, “we’ll take care of it. I just need to check my phone first.”

She ducked into his office, only letting go of his hand when she reached for her phone. It was still sitting on the coffee table where she left it the night before. His was too and he grumbled audibly when he realized he had left it out of earshot.

“I take it yours should have joined us in the bedroom as well?” Alice smiled as she skimmed through her phone.

Rafael nodded, picking his up and doing the same. Luckily he found no missed calls. “You miss anything important?”

“Nope, they just sent the tentative OR schedule for next week.”

Rafael moved closer and took her phone from her hands, setting both phones back down on the coffee table. He pulled her closer again and kissed her. Alice smiled into it and walked him backwards to the couch, straddling his thighs when she pushed him back to sit. His hands slipped under the shirt again, running up her sides until he reached her breast. Her hips ground against his as her hands tugged at the elastic band around his waist. He lifted to give her excess and felt the fabric slide down his thighs and the open feeling of air, then her hand lining them up.

“We’re keeping things a little tawdry then.” He smirked as she lowered herself onto him.

“Life’s more interesting that way isn’t it?”

“Definitely.” He exhaled when she started to move.

Alice lifted her hips and sank back down on him, her forearms resting against the back of the couch for leverage as her fingers played with his hair. Their lips were locked, his hands gripping her ass pushing and lifting, aiding in her movements. It was a repeat of the night before, only he was sitting up kissing her this time, not laying back watching her move above him.

“You like being in control?” He smirked when she pulled back to look at him.

“I don’t dislike it.” She smiled, lifting herself from him and repositioning so that she was on her knees, leaning against the back of the couch. “You can take over if you want?”

Rafael pulled himself behind her, easing back inside. His hands slipped under the shirt, lifting it higher as he lightly kneaded her breast and began thrusting into her.

“I like being in control.” He grunted against the back of her neck.

“No shit.” Alice chuckled, pushing back into him.

Rafael’s smile was brief as other senses took over. Still he had been amused by her comment, just not as amused as he was into feeling himself pushing into her. He deftly worked the buttons on the shirt and tugged it from her body. His gaze following his hands as they skimmed down her back, following the arc created by her positioning against the couch, finally coming to rest, lightly gripping her hips and tugging her back into each thrust.

“I could have remained nude if you had wanted.” It was an attempt to tease, but her voice was amorous, giving way to a soft moan midway through.

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” Rafael liked her in his shirt, he liked most women in his shirt… there was something about the way it hung on their frame that made him want to… well, do exactly what he was doing to Alice.

He spread her legs farther apart with his knees and slipped his fingers to her clit, lightly circling it, the new position giving him better access to deeply penetrate her. Alice smooshed her face into the couch cushion, her hands gripped tightly along the back edge, but she didn’t stop moving with him. Rafael took his time, long strokes in and out. The only act increasing in speed were the ones his fingers were exerting.

“My god…” She groaned into the cushion as her legs began to quiver and her hips bounced against his own.

Rafael didn’t alter the pace he had set, continuing through her moans until she buckled forward and he could feel the rhythmic tensing of her internal walls pressing around him. He moved his hands back to her hips, gripping as he thrust faster. Alice peered over her shoulder at him and he felt her tighten again, only this time she stayed that way, gripping onto him as he pulled out before plunging back in. He wasn’t sure how long she contracted her muscles, but it hadn’t really mattered either. He was soon pushed as far into her as he could, grunting his release while pulling her hips into his as though he could somehow push in farther.

It took a moment, collapsed against her back, for him to catch his breath enough to shift to sit on the couch again. Alice awkwardly shifted as well, cuddling under his arm and against his chest when she did. Her left arm draped across his stomach and he took her hand in his, lifting it as he played with her fingers.

“You still want breakfast?”

“Unless you’re kicking me out.” Alice smiled, but he sense some unease behind her statement. That maybe she feared he had gotten what he wanted.

“I’m pretty sure I’d keep you here all day if you didn’t have to go home at some point to change for our date tonight.” Rafael smiled. It was the truth though… he barely knew her, but he was in no rush for her to leave his apartment.

“You sure you want to actually date me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well… I have had a sexual relationship with someone you work with and if Sonny’s correct, someone you don’t really like.” Alice shrugged.

“Carisi annoys me, but I don’t dislike him. I actually think he’s respectable, or at least I thought he was until I found out he sleeps with women he’s not dating.”

Alice rolled her eyes and he smiled. “You’re more respectable then?”

“I didn’t say that.” He smirked.

Rafael knew she was watching him as he prepared their breakfast. He could feel her eyes on him. He smiled over his shoulder at her as she sat at his kitchen island, dressed in only his dress shirt again.

“You want help cleaning after we eat?” Alice smiled.

The party had left his apartment messier than he would have liked. It wasn’t as bad as the year before, but he would need to spend the better part of the afternoon straightening things.

“I thought you didn’t clean.”

“I don’t, so you should feel special that I’m offering.”

“Is that so?” He chuckled while plating the eggs.

“I just mean helping to pick up, you’re on your own when it comes to dusting and dishes.”

Rafael shook his head and smiled as he slid a plate in front of her. “Coffee?”

“Please.” She smiled.

He got them both a cup and sat in the seat next to her. “What do you think?”

“Of the food?”

“Yes.”

“They’re good, but it’s eggs and toast… they’re kind of hard to screw up.”

“Says the woman who doesn’t cook.” Rafael smirked.

“I can scramble eggs and toast bread, that’s how I know it’s hard to screw up. The coffee however is fantastic.”

“When you drink as much as I do you start to get picky.”

Alice smiled and turned her attention to her food, so Rafael did the same. Both eating silently for a moment before she spoke again.

“Can I give you one more warning since it seems to be the catalyst in every breakup?”

Rafael bit back a smile that she seemed still up for their date later that evening. “Sure.”

“I don’t always answer my phone… I mean, I can’t always answer my phone. I spend forty eight hours at the hospital straight… I shower there, I eat there, I sleep there. If I can answer I will, but surgeries can go on for hours, I make rounds and talk with patients, research new techniques, watch other surgeries… it’s not always conducive to a relationship or at least it hasn’t been in the past…”

“You’ll let me know when you’re on shift?” Rafael asked.

“Yes. It’s pretty consistent. A forty eight hour shift, then a day off, two day shifts where I’m on call in the evenings, then two days off. My week starts on Sunday.”

“So every Sunday and Monday you’re scheduled to be at the hospital and if I call I may not hear from you until Tuesday?” He smirked.

“I’ll call you back while at work, it may just be a while,” she chuckled, “but if you call on Monday and a surgery keeps me late I will return the call at a decent hour the next day unless you express urgency.”

“And you work what, eight to five on Wednesday and Thursday?”

“Pretty much, unless I’m in surgery and can’t leave until later, or if I’m called in after my scheduled shift. I can meet for dinner as long as you’re understanding if I get pulled away.”

Rafael laughed. He didn’t mean to, it just happened.

“What’s so funny?” Alice frowned.

“It’s just… your work may actually interrupt our dates more than mine does.”

“Now it’s multiple dates?” She smirked.

“As long as the dates go as well as this.”

“This… as in me sitting around your apartment postcoital in nothing but your dirty shirt and you in your underwear?”

“The shirts not dirty, it’s worn.” Rafael smirked.

Alice teasingly brought it to her nose for a sniff test. “Damn you smell good…”

Rafael chuckled and took her hand in his. “See, worn, not dirty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like this character but I'm stuck on the actual story. I'm open to suggestions... I have to be able to wrap my head around the idea to write it so I may not use all ideas. I also want to keep this one from Barba's perspective, so ideas with SVU that don't include Alice are welcomed I just don't want to dig into the shows actual cases or create my own for this one... we'll see how that works out. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Alice had left around three. She had attempted to help him pick the plates and glasses scattered around his place, the bits of trash and self serve food area he had had set up in the dining room, but every time she bent forward to pick something up he had found himself distracted from his own task and eventually dragged her to his couch. Now he was left to do most of the cleaning by himself, but he wasn’t really in a position to complain considering how his morning had gone.

He had had the party catered the first year, not a sit down meal, just waiters carrying around trays of food. It ended up being unnecessary and expensive. In the years since, he paid to have a buffet style snack table set up and a bartender to manage the drinks. The bartender also restocked the food between serving drinks and had done a pretty efficient job. Rafael had made a note of his name to request him again next year if he happened to still be working for the same company. As he examined his homes small built in bar, he decided the ridiculously large tip he had given the bartender at the end of his shift had been completely worth it. Everything had been organized and stored in its proper place, left over bottles neatly arranged under the counter, and every surface wiped clean. The only thing left for him to put away was the small amount of booze the bartender had left out for the few guest that remained when he left, and even that had been moved to the food table to keep the bar orderly.

Normally he would have saved some of the left over food at the end of the night, storing it in Tupperware containers for lazy dinners over the next few days, but since he had been otherwise occupied and the food had ended up sitting out all night he felt it best to throw it away instead. Tonights dinner wouldn’t be leftovers anyway.

It was five when he made his way back to his bedroom to shower and change for his date with Alice. Rafael smiled as he pulled his dress shirt from the edge of the bed where she had tossed it after changing back into her dress. It had been a long time since he had been this enamored by a woman he had just met.

He was quietly reading in his office when she knocked on his door. He forced himself to walk slowly as to not seem too eager and glanced through the peephole quickly before opening the door.

“I’m early, I’m sorry, it’s an annoying high strung quirk I’ve developed over the years.” Alice said as she walked into his apartment. “I see you finished cleaning once your were no longer distracted.”

She was smiling and he couldn’t help but smile back, enjoying the fact that he still felt the same nervous energy as before. “I rather enjoyed my distraction.”

“I enjoyed being your distraction.” 

She wasn’t in a dress like the last night, instead she wore black pants and a red blouse that was dressy without being too formal. It was perfect since the place he had decided to take her to wasn’t exactly casual, but allowed him to get away with wearing a button up with a darker pair of jeans.

“Are you ready to actually go on our date?”

“More than ready.” She smiled, taking his hand in hers.

Rafael tugged her closer and kissed her, his hand tangling in her hair as he did. “We should probably go.” He breathed, pressing his forehead to hers.

“Are you afraid you’ll drag me back to your bedroom if we don’t?”

“Yes.” He smirked, separating from her just long enough to grab his keys.

Rafael had thought things might be awkward considering they had only just met and basically spent most of their time together without their clothes on, but it wasn’t. The conversation had flowed effortlessly. His mind briefly wondered why Carisi and her hadn’t worked out as more than friends, but decided against asking about it on their first date.

“Did you grow up in New York?”

“Not the city,” she smiled, “Ithaca.”

“It’s pretty there.”

“Very pretty.”

“Did you leave for college?” Rafael took a bite of food a smiled.

“Nope.” Rafael rolled his eyes at her sudden switch to clipped responses and she giggled. “I attended Cornell with the added benefit of living at home, of course I didn’t think of it as a benefit at the time. When I was paying my student loans off I was extremely thankful that I didn’t have the extra living expenses during undergrad added in, med school was expensive enough on it’s own.”

“How’d you end up in the city?”

“Cornell’s medical school is located on the Upper East Side. I did my surgical residency at New York Presbyterian.”

“How did I not know Cornell had a campus here…” Rafael was mostly thinking out loud as he spoke, racking his brain for any bit of knowledge on the medical school, but if he had any it eluded him.

“Probably because you didn’t research med schools while picking which law school to attend,” Alice smiled. “What about you?”

“I grew up in the Bronx and attended Harvard.”

“Were you an only child?” Alice grinned as though she had already assumed he was.

“How much has Carisi told you about me?”

“He hasn’t really told me anything personal about you. When you’ve come up it’s either been work related or he was complaining.”

“Complaining?” Rafael lifted a brow.

“He’s allowed to vent about work to his friend,” she smirked, “now answer my question.”

“I’m an only child.”

“I knew it.”

“What made you so sure I was an only child?”

“Just a hunch.” Alice shrugged, but there was the faintest hint of a smirk on her face.

Rafael took a sip of his drink and stared at her. “What about you? Were you an only child?”

“I was.”

“Can I ask why you only ordered water?” He had been curious since he ordered a scotch and she had stated to be good with the water that had been poured for each of them when they were seated. It wasn’t that he felt she should be drinking if he was, but more that she hadn’t ordered anything else… not that anything was wrong with drinking water.

“I typically don’t drink before a shift. I will have a drink or two if the circumstances are right, but considering how much we drank last night I feel it’s best to avoid alcohol tonight.”

“You could have ordered iced tea or a soft drink.”

“I don’t drink soda, not unless it’s mixed with alcohol anyway… I mean the damage is kind of done at that point. Tea will effect my sleep. Also, I like water.” Alice smiled.

“I should probably drink more of it.” He smirked.

“To offset your caffeine intake?”

“Maybe…”

“Would you rather…”

“This again?” Rafael chuckled.

Alice’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. “Would you rather never be able to drink coffee again or scotch?”

“I’m not sure I could possibly pick…”

“You have to.”

“I need coffee so I guess I’d give up the scotch.” He sighed when he said and it Alice laughed.

“You do realize you don’t actually have to give up either.”

“Yes.” Rafael smiled. “Would you rather be perpetually single and be a surgeon or find the love of your life but have to do something else?”

“I’m a surgeon.” Alice answered without hesitation and for a brief moment Rafael wondered if that should worry him. “What about you? Same question, but with you know, lawyering.” She waved her finger back in forth in the air and Rafael chuckled.

“I could imagine being a professor or perhaps judge one day…”

“Nope. You can’t do anything related to the law, which includes teaching it.” She interrupted.

“Oh… oh…” His voice got a little deeper on the second oh as he realized he couldn’t think of anything he’d be happy doing if he had to disregard everything he had spent his life learning.

“See… you’d be single too.” Alice laughed pulling Rafael from his thoughts.

“I guess I would be…”

“It’s a good thing that it’s a ridiculous scenario brought on by a ridiculous game.”

“Yes it is.” Rafael smiled.

Alice opened her mouth as though she were going to speak again, but huffed instead when her phone rang. “I’m sorry.” She sighed while reaching in her purse to grab it. She glanced at it and smiled before dropping it back in her purse.

“Who was that?”

“Sonny.”

“I take it you haven’t called him today?” Rafael smirked.

“I’ve been a little preoccupied.”

“We were apart for three hours.”

“Yes and by the time I got home I basically got ready for our date and left again.” Alice chuckled while glancing at her phone as it rang again. “I’m sorry,” she sighed while picking up her phone, “if I don’t answer he’ll just keep calling.”

Rafael smiled and gestured for her to go ahead.

“Hey Sonny, can I call you later?” Rafael was too far to hear Carisi’s side of the conversation this time, but Alice gave him an apologetic look after she hadn’t said anything for a minute or so. “Well that’s shitty of her.” Carisi was clearly speaking again, most likely complaining about someone, and Rafael watched Alice patiently listen to him. “Hey Sonny can I call you back later tonight… Yes I know it’s already late.” Rafael glanced at his watch to check the time, but it was only seven thirty. “I promise… because I’m on a date and rudely ignoring him as I listen to you complain about your sister… Yes.” Alice smiled at Rafael and he was certain Carisi had just asked her if she was out with him. “Ok Sonny… Talk to you in a bit.”

“I take it he knows your date is with me.” Rafael smirked once her phone was safely nestled in her purse again.

“He does, but it’s not like I wouldn’t have told him.”

“Seven thirty is late?” He didn’t mean to sound bemused by the question, but he did.

“When you get to work at five it is. I’m usually in bed by eight. I’m not asleep yet but I’m winding down.”

“Oh, we can go if you want.” They were mostly finished eating at that point and he didn’t want to make her work day any longer than it would already be.

“I’m in no rush.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to be miserable tomorrow.”

“I won’t be, I function extremely well off of very little sleep. I’m pretty sure pushing you to your limit while depriving you of sleep is the main objective of serving as a surgical intern.”

“Did you want desert then?” He smiled.

“I’d be up for sharing something.”

There had been a discussion over whose car service to use since Rafael had offered to walk her home. They ultimately decided to use his since he would be heading back to his own place after. He took her hand as they road the elevator up to her floor, tugging her closer since they were alone.

“I can cancel the car and reschedule it for in the morning.” Rafael exhaled while moving closer to her, erasing the space between them as her back pressed against her front door.

“I would love to, but…”

“I get it.” He smiled, leaning in to press his lips to hers.

“All you’d be missing out on is me stealing the covers while we slept.” Alice sighed, running her fingers through his hair.

“Can I take you out Tuesday?”

“You can.” Her fingers were still playing with his hair so he leaned into them.

“Ok. I’ll let you get some sleep then.” Rafael sighed, feeling almost foolish for how much he didn’t want to leave her.

He forced back the urge to suggest sleeping next to her again. There would be plenty of opportunities to spend time with her if he played his cards right. Coming off too eager in the beginning probably wouldn’t fare well for him in the long run.

“Goodnight, Rafael.” Alice smiled, pushing up to softly kiss his lips one last time.

He tightened his arms around her and she lightly moaned while reciprocating the embrace, her fingers lightly trailing the side of his face then back into his hair.

“Buenas noches, Alice.” He breathed while pressing his forehead against hers.

She gently squeezed his hand as she peeked up at him. “I’m free anytime on Tuesday.”

“I’ll call when I know what my work load is like and what time I can leave.”

“Ok.” Alice smiled, giving him another quick kiss. “Bye.”

“Bye.” Rafael replied, not hiding his amusement when she kept grinning as she slipped in her apartment.

Rafael beamed the entire car ride home. Enamored was definitely the right word to describe how he felt. When it had entered his mind earlier he had thought it had to be too strong, but after another evening with her, this one with their clothes on… He audibly sighed, chuckling at himself when the driver glanced back at him. Maybe it was too much, too soon. Maybe it was one sided… Rafael shook his head, forcing the negative thoughts from his mind. It would either workout or it wouldn’t, there was no point in over analyzing the relationship before it even really began. The fact that they were both busy would be a good thing in keeping him grounded. It would give them both time to get to know one another while also having time apart to think… he feared he needed that since he clearly wasn’t thinking straight when he was around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ideas I've received have been helpful in getting me thinking about this story so I'm going to keep this one open to suggestions. 
> 
> Again I have to be able to wrap my head around it to write it, but I'll try my best to incorporate what I can.  
> ***Keep in mind I will be writing this from Barba's perspective.***


	4. Chapter 4

Sunday had seemed to drag more than normal so Rafael ended up calling his mom up for a late lunch. He didn’t dare bring up Alice to her, not that she’d think it would turn into anything this time… he had a track record and she had lost hope of him settling down long ago… it was more that he didn’t want to jinx anything, as ridiculous as that was.

On Monday work had been slow as well and he was beginning to think that fact that he had so little to do was times way of conspiring against him. It was unusual for SVU not to be annoying him by asking for warrants much too early in a case… a thought he quickly dismissed when he realized that if they did bring him a case it could actually interfere with his date. Maybe it was a good thing he didn’t have much to do since he wasn’t exactly focused on work anyway.

“Mr. Barba.”

“Yes, Carmen?”

“I have the Barker documents ready.”

“Great.” He motioned her over with his hand and flipped through the file, taking longer than normal much to Carmen’s annoyance, before finally signing off on them.

“I’ll get these sent over.” Carmen said without looking back as she exited, leaving him alone with his thoughts again.

He really did need his mind occupied. This was ridiculous… a word that had entered his mind a lot since Friday… but it was the only word to describe how, well… ridiculous it was that he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He barely knew her, and she was friends with Carisi, had at one time dated Carisi… had slept with Carisi. That alone should be a deal breaker, but it wasn’t.

Alice had been witty and made him laugh more than he remembered doing on past dates, had attended Cornell which he found more attractive than he would ever let on, and seemed to be sane. That last one was more a dig at his most recent ex, who would randomly show up at his office expecting him to drop everything to entertain her… as though he had the time. She hadn’t quite understood the demands of his job. It had been the impetus to more fights than he’d care to remember.

Since he had a bit of down time and he couldn’t get her out of his head anyway, he decided to try calling. At this stage in a relationship he would normally wait until Tuesday to call, but what could it hurt. If she didn’t answer, he’d leave a voicemail saying he was hopeful to get out of work early and if she answered he planned to do the same while maybe getting to chat a bit.

“Hey Rafael.”

He instantly smiled at hearing her voice. “Alice. Is now a good time?”

“It’s as good a time as any.”

“How do lunches work during your forty eight hour shifts? I know you eat at the hospital, but can someone join you?” This is not at all what he was going to say if she answered.

“Miss me already?” Alice chuckled.

“I… uh… I…”

“Relax, I was thinking about you most of the morning too.” She chuckled again, but he actually did relax.

“You’re direct.”

“I kind of have to be. It’s not always a favorite trait…”

“I like direct.” He had reclined back in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk.

“You say that now.”

“Good or bad, I prefer to know where I stand.”

“Ok.” There was a brief pause and Rafael almost filled it but then she spoke again. “I could try to do lunch, but I make no guarantees it won’t be interrupted.”

“I’ve finished a meal alone before.”

“I want details on that later.” Rafael smiled when Alice’s soft laugh presented itself again.

“What time?”

Alice was quiet, but he could hear someone talking in the background. “Um… let me look…” She was quiet again and he wondered if she had spoken to him or whoever had talked to her. “Monitor him for now and if it hasn’t improved in ten minutes find me.” She definitely wasn’t talking to him. “Ok, sorry, my next scheduled surgery is at four so your safest bet is to head this way now. You’ll have to pick up something on the way unless you want to eat cafeteria food.”

“I can do that. Where should I meet you?”

“Call me when you’re getting close and I’ll meet you at the main entrance.”

“Is there anything you don’t eat?” A sudden fear of picking up something she was allergic to filled his mind.

“Not really.”

“That’s helpful.” He snickered.

“I’m good with anything from a chicken breast and veggies or pasta to a burger and fries or pizza. Seriously, I’ll eat anything.”

“Ok. I’ll call something in and see you soon.”

“Bye Rafael.”

He called in an order to one of his favorite restaurants that wasn’t far from Mercy, and headed her way, letting Carmen know he was going out for lunch as he passed. This wasn’t how he thought his day would go. He didn’t quite understand why he was so impatient to see her again. Yet here he was, rushing out of his office to the car he had sent for, to pick up the same chicken dish he ordered from the restaurant regularly, the same one he had ordered for himself.

“You’re close I’m guessing?” There was no greeting, just her slightly amused sounding voice on the other end of the line.

“Pulling up now.”

“You have good timing because I’m passing the main entrance now.”

“Should we stay on the phone?” This question had more to do with his concern for getting lost. He rarely had reason to frequent Mercy, or Bellevue for that matter, and if he did Liv was usually there to guide him.

“I remember what you look like.” She chuckled and he rolled his eyes relieved that she couldn’t see him yet.

“Right. See you in a moment then.”

Part of him hoped this lunch would make him realize he wasn’t that interested in Alice, that his infatuation had just been some holdover from the weekend they had shared and that that had been alcohol induced. Yes, he was partial to the idea of growing old with someone rather than alone, and if he were to find someone to spend the rest of his life with he would hope he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about her. But this… this was… well, to beat a dead horse… ridiculous. He had barely spoken to her on the phone and an overwhelming desire to see her came over him. He didn’t like feeing that his mind wasn’t his own.

“Raf, over here.” Alice called, waving at him from where she stood just left of the entrance.

Raf… He’d had people shorten his name his whole life. With his family and those from his youth it was Rafi, Liv called him Rafa, some insisted on using his given name, while to others he was and always would be Barba. Raf was a name generally imposed on him by people he met later in life. Those that shortened his name because they were comfortable enough with him to do so. Alice said it so casually… as though she were already familiar with him. Of course technically they were familiar with each other… He racked his brain, trying to determine if she had used the shortened form over their weekend together, but if she had it eluded him. He lied to himself, trying to convince the tiny swirl of fluttery movement that formed in the pit of his stomach that it was too familiar, and that they needed to settle back down.

“You look nice.” He smiled as he reached her.

“Seriously?” Alice knitted her brow and glanced down at herself.

She was in dark blue scrubs, a white coat with the name Hensley embroidered on it, and an ugly pair of sneakers. Her hair was thrown in a ponytail, with bits falling out about her face, and her makeup looked like she had slept with it on, something he assumed was completely possible. Still, somehow despite all that he thought she did look nice. The smile she wore as he approached, how blue her eyes were… something he now knew had a lot to do with the color of her scrubs, her brown hair that was a bit on the messy side but still complemented the colors she had on nicely.

“I’m sticking with my statement.” He smirked.

“You’re full of shit, but sweet.” Alice smiled, taking his hand in hers as she guided them toward the cafeteria. “What’d you pick me up to eat?”

“The same thing I got for myself.”

“That’s informative.”

“It’s payback.” He chuckled while lifting the bag up for her to smell inside.

“At least it smells good.”

“You said you’d eat anything.”

Alice sat down at an empty table, looking up at him expectantly. “I will.”

Rafael rolled his eyes and sat the bag of food on the table while taking the chair adjacent to her. This was going better than he’d hoped… He liked their banter… Alice opened the to go container and smiled. It was a simple chicken dish with mashed potatoes and veggies. Nothing unique. The reason he had picked the place was that the food was consistently good.

“You said chicken and veggies.” Rafael smiled.

“Your day must not be too busy.”

“No… painstakingly slow.” He sighed.

“Is that the only reason you wanted to bring me lunch?” She was smirking as she slipped a bite of potatoes in her mouth.

“No.”

“If you’re hoping for a little taste from this weekend I don’t have time before my surgery.”

“I wasn’t…” he chuckled, then his brow lifted, “wait, is that an option in the future?”

“You’re very into the future.” Alice laughed.

“Not normally… and that wasn’t an answer.” Alice merely grinned at him and he decided that he was again getting ahead of himself. “What surgery do you have scheduled at four?”

“A scar revision. Normally I schedule my surgeries for in the morning to minimize the discomfort of fasting, but this particular patient works nights and this is their morning.”

“How long will a surgery like that take?”

Alice shrugged slightly. “A couple hours maybe more… It’s a second surgery to hopefully minimize the scar even more. I didn’t do the first one, it was preformed when the patient was seven, roughly fifteen years ago. Advancements have been made since then.”

“I would assume.” Rafael smiled.

“The scaring is on the face so I’ll want to be more thorough at thinning what I can of the scar around the eye, the rest of it looks pretty good. The first surgeon did a fantastic job. I just plan to hit that area with some laser treatment to pull a little more color out so it blends in better with the skin around scar and then it should be hardly noticeable.”

“You can’t remove it completely?”

“Surgery leaves scars,” she sighed. “I can remove within reason, making them thinner and match skin tone… I can’t make them disappear.”

“That makes sense.”

Rafael noticed the man in scrubs approaching but had hoped he would continue on, passing them.

“Dr. Hensley?”

“Yeah?” Alice replied as she ate, barely bothering to look at the guy.

“Can you sign off on an MRI?” Now that he was closer the man appeared to be on the late side of his mid twenties and seemed nervous.

“What’s the MRI for?” Rafael tried not to seem amused at Alice’s perceived dismissal of the young man.

“Mr. Jenkins, as you know, isn’t responding to treatment and we were…”

“We?” Alice interrupted.

“Me and few other interns… we were thinking that maybe an MRI could give us more insight…”

“Have you spoken with neuro?”

“Yes…”

“Dr. Langford is on today?”

“Yes…” The intern sighed.

“Then you have your answer.”

The intern didn’t say anything else, just left, returning to a small group of people wearing the same color scrubs he had on.

“Interns,” Alice chuckled, “I choose to repress the fact that I was probably just as annoying when I went through it myself.”

“So the MRI is unnecessary?”

“The patient, who Dr. Elms shouldn’t have used the name of in front of you, had a knife stabbed into his hand that severed multiple nerves amongst other damage. An MRI isn’t going to show us why he can’t move his fingers yet… the fact that they’ve asked makes me question their med schools… It may take another surgery to repair the nerve damage, he may regain use of his fingers after a bit of time, or he may never fully regain function of his hand.” Alice sounded more dismissive than Rafael expected, but then she dealt with surgeries and trauma daily.

“Did you work on his surgery?”

“I repaired the tendons while Dr. Langford worked on the nerves. They were pretty damaged due to the direction the knife went in.”

“I assume there’s a story behind that.” Rafael chuckled, though he didn’t expect her to tell him.

“The walls here have ears, but if you're still up for our date tomorrow evening I may divulge a bit more.”

“Oh, speaking of… if tomorrow is anything like today I may head out early. When would you be available?” This… this was what he had meant to ask when he originally called her, not interject himself into her day.

“I get off at five AM, hopefully,” Alice crossed her fingers while making a face indicating that that didn’t always happen, “I sleep for four hours and then get up for the day in an attempt to shift my schedule back to some semblance of normal.”

“So you’re awake by what, noon?”

“Eleven at the latest unless I had to stay extremely longer than I planned. It’s just enough time to feel reenergized but still be able to sleep again at night.”

“Ok. I’ll call tomorrow afternoon if I think I can sneak out early otherwise let’s plan for six.” Alice had a shit eating grin on her face. “What?” It wasn’t an irritated huff, just shorter than he intended to be since she seem so amused.

“Nothing,” She chuckled, “six will work and if you can manage earlier there’s an exhibit at the MoMA I’d like to see.”

“Ok.” Rafael glanced at his watch and was surprised to see that over an hour had passed. “How long is your lunch break?”

“It’s not really a defined time, but I should probably head back to work soon.”

“Yeah… I should probably head back too.” He sighed as they both gathered their trash and took it to the nearest bin.

Alice took his hand again as they walked back toward the main entrance. “I’m really glad you brought me lunch.” She smiled, slipping outside the hospital doors with him.

“It wasn’t too much too soon?” He felt it was.

“Maybe if I weren’t interested…” Alice shrugged tugging his arm so he faced her.

“We barely know each other.”

“And if it fizzles, it fizzles. There’s no rule that says we have to overthink every step along the way.”

“I wouldn’t say I’ve over thought every step.” Rafael grumbled, mainly because he both had and hadn’t. He had impulsively called her after spending his morning thinking about her. The lunch suggestion escaped his lips without any thought and was then overanalyzed on the ride over.

“I’m blunt and straightforward. If something isn’t working I’ll tell you.”

“And so far…” He smirked, stepping a bit closer to her.

“I’m good.”

“Good.”

He slipped his arm under her white coat and pulled her closer to him so that their bodies were pressed against one another. Alice ran her fingers into his hair as he closed the space between them, his lips finding hers. This time he embraced the flittering quiver that surged from his stomach to his chest. And why shouldn’t he? She had basically given him permission to and it had been such a long time since he had felt anything like it.

“Work.” Alice smiled as she pulled back from him.

“Work.” He grinned.

“Call me anytime after noon tomorrow, but if you’re leaving early give me enough notice to shower and change. I plan on be lazy for a little bit.”

“Ok.” He gave her one last quick kiss and then squeezed her hand as they separated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaving this one open to ideas and suggestions.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally not going to write much in the way of cases for SVU, but I felt Barba was a bit too in his head... maybe not quite how I picture him being... so I've decided to add in cases. I will most likely use them as a way to involve SVU, but they won't be the focus.

SVU picked up a case Monday evening, one they thankfully hadn’t called him for until the following morning. Still, with as slow as his Monday had been, the call from Liv had been more than welcomed. This early into a case Rafael had little worry about it interfering with his date later that evening.

“Barba, finally.” Liv stood when she noticed him enter the bullpen.

The group was gathered around a table discussing an array of victims photos they had placed on a bulletin board.

“Finally? You called ten minutes ago.”

His statement garnered a look from Liv, but was otherwise ignored as they jumped into the details of the case. Rafael listened as he examined the board. The abused and then strangled bodies of missing girls from all over the country were turning up on the streets of New York. The one reported last night was the first to turn up in Manhattan, but Brooklyn had had two, Queens one, and Staten Island three.

“You’re thinking a serial is using the city as his dumping ground?” Rafael asked after they had exhausted the information they had ready to give him.

“What else could it be? There’s too many similarities between each girl, what happened to them, and how they were killed.” Rollins replied.

“This’ll be a PR nightmare.” Rafael huffed, just as his phone rang.

He glanced at it and sighed as Carmen’s office number popped up on the screen. Given what he had walked into, he assumed she wasn’t calling because he forgot to sign something.

“Barba.” He answered.

“I have Mayor Crowley on the line.”

“Send him through.” Rafael sighed, moving away from the detectives that were still talking so that he could hear better.

The conversation was short, mostly an emphasis that the boroughs needed to work together. Rafael assumed each borough’s assigned ADA would be receiving the same call.

“Mayor Crowley wants you to coordinate with the detectives assigned to the case in each borough, as well as with law enforcement in the cities the girls were reported missing in. Find out who spoke to them last, who, if anyone, witnessed their abduction, and anything that might link them to one another. He’s hoping to not have to call in the FBI, but if headway isn’t made soon, he will.”

“Are you making a statement to the press?” Carisi asked.

“The victims aren’t locale, so I don’t see reason to cause alarm or draw attention to whoever’s doing this. It may be best to work the case quietly until we have more to go on.”

“And if the press gets wind of it?” Liv side eyed him.

“Then I’ll make a statement.”

Rafael used Liv’s office to make phone calls as she assigned each of the detectives a task. Fin was to touch base with each borough, including the Bronx even though they hadn’t had a body reported in their area. Carisi was tasked with contacting the local precincts where each girl was reported missing. Rollins had been assigned to dig into their social media pages, extra circular activities, and anything else she could find that might be a common thread between them. He was relieved to hear that the other ADA’s involved agreed with him on the press angle. What good would it do for him not to call a press conference if any one of the others did?

Carisi had just ended a call when Rafael ventured back into the bullpen, his retort after he slammed the phone down drew Rafael’s attention and then Alice popped into his head. It was the first moment since he had met her that he realized she hadn’t been encompassing his thoughts and he almost laughed. He really benefited from being busy. Of course the reason she popped into his head wasn’t because their date was on his mind, or that he wished he could call her… she was there because of her connection to the detective that was grumbling at his desk.

“Carisi?”

“Yeah Barba.” The lanky detective looked up from his work, making eye contact with him. He didn’t seem upset or concerned or even like he knew that Rafael had slept with Alice… but he did know didn’t he…

“Can I barrow you for a minute?” Rafael asked, motioning to the interview room.

“Sure.”

Rafael waited where he was until Carisi had passed, following behind him and shutting the door to the room once they were both inside.

“What’d you need?”

“I just wanted to make sure we were good when it came to Alice.” Rafael wasn’t sure he’d back off if it turned out Carisi had a problem with the two of them, but he felt that at least asking… even if it was after the fact… was somewhat appropriate.

“Alice and I are just friends, she can date whoever she wants.” Carisi shrugged.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“Why wouldn’t we be good?”

“You two have history.” Rafael had to forcibly block a mental image of Carisi kissing her before his imagination took if further.

“Alice and I work better as friends.”

“I’m not just referring to the past relationship.”

“She is upfront isn’t she?” Carisi chuckled. “I promise we’re good.”

“Ok.” Rafael nodded, the next question escaping his lips before he could stop it. “Has she dated a lot since you’ve known her?”

“You do realize my loyalty lies with her not you.”

“Yes, right… back to work then?” Rafael moved toward the door, opening it as Carisi followed.

“In answer to your question… no, she doesn’t date often, but anything else you want to know you’ll have to ask her yourself.” Carisi slipped through the door and headed back to his desk, leaving Rafael to follow.

The day slipped by with Rafael working remotely from the precinct. Most of what he was doing was fielding calls anyway, so it made more sense to stick around where he could be continually updated. As the afternoon dwindled, the calls did too.

Rafael leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes, lifting his watch into view so he could check the time. Three. He chuckled that yesterday he had had hopes of leaving early, then his eyes widened. Alice. He hadn’t called her yet. He slipped away from the detectives, to an unoccupied corner down the short hall leading toward holding and called her.

“I take it today is busier than you expected.” She chuckled as her greeting.

“I’m sorry, work is at best unpredictable.” He sighed.

“You never have to apologize for work with me. Does this mean I’m on my own for dinner or you just can’t leave early?”

“I should still be able to do dinner, but it may have to be pushed to seven.”

“That’s fine. It makes me feel a little better about hitting up the MoMA by myself.”

“Seven isn’t too late?” He had almost expected some hesitation from her, her schedule being why he had suggested six to begin with.

“I only go to bed early when I’m scheduled to start at five or have an early surgery. Tomorrow I don’t go in until eight.”

“I’ll pick you up at seven then.”

“See you in a bit.”

He smiled and slid his phone back in his pocket. This felt better. He would still get to see her, but his mind hadn’t been idle, allowing himself to obsess over seeing her.

He left the precinct at six when the day had pretty much wound down. It was the first in what he assumed would be a lengthy process, so six had been when he’d expected to be able to leave. There was a quick stop by his office and then his car took him to Alice’s building.

“You could have called and I’d have met you downstairs.” She smiled when she opened the door.

His eyes skimmed the emerald colored dress she had on, the one that hugged her small frame, accenting areas that made him wish he were walking her back inside her apartment. Not that the dress wasn’t tasteful, it was. She could have stepped out of her apartment in her scrubs and he would have had the same desire to drag he back inside. He forced his eyes to look at hers, noticing the greenish hue they had taken on. It wasn’t as vivid as the blue, if fact you could still see specs of blue mixed in, but the overall appearance was definitely green.

“It’s not very considerate.” He smiled.

“It’s more efficient.”

“Dating shouldn't revolve around efficiency.”

“Maybe, but…”

“Do you want to actually eat or stand here and argue about whether I should have waited in the car or not?

“Eat.” Alice looked amused while attempting to appear annoyed.

“Good.” He smirked, tugging her closer so he could kiss her. “Shall we go?”

“Just a sec.” She smiled as she slipped back in her apartment to grab her purse.

It was his first glimpse inside and he was almost surprised by how sterile the place looked. He only got a peek through the living room to the kitchen, but it had been overpoweringly white and shiny. From her statement about not cleaning he had half expected something more chaotic. Piles of medical journals perhaps or bits of clutter on surfaces from where she had hastily set something down on her way in or out. Instead, it was the opposite, every surface devoid of embellishments.

The living room’s floor was a light grey, he didn’t know if it was actual wood or tile designed to resemble wood due to the sheen on it. Either way, it looked nice. Her couch was a modern design in white leather, in fact most of the furniture that he could see had been white. One exception being the thin golden oak stained coffee table that ran almost the full length of the couch. Even the walls were white except where they were recessed a bit creating a built in sitting or counter space that started along a solid wall, continued through the corner and then another wall with windows. The walls along the solid wall and in the space between the windows were painted a light grey and seemed to pull in colors from the flooring.

The kitchen had a similar feel, light grey cabinets on the island, white cabinets everywhere else, stainless steel appliances, and solid white countertops. A little brown was tied back in with the minimalist counter height chairs that lined the island. As the door closed behind her, Rafael thought he saw a clear sphere hanging from the ceiling, but it was so quick that he couldn’t make sense of what it could possibly have been.

“I’m ready.” Alice smiled after locking her door.

Rafael took her hand and guided her back to the elevator. “Do you own actual things?” He chuckled.

“I do, but all of my _things_ have a home. I am dysfunctionally organized.”

“Saying you don’t clean is a bit misleading then.”

“No it’s not. Just because I’m organized doesn’t mean I vacuum or dust. The whole point of being organized is so that you don’t have to pick up after yourself. If you put the thing where it goes when you’re through with it, it’s never left out to need to be picked up later.”

“Do you have any decor other than furniture?”

“You mean clutter?” Alice countered.

“I mean things people put around their homes in an attempt to decorate.”

“Like what? An empty bowl on my coffee table... Why?” She seemed to really not see the point behind having something for the sole purpose of its aesthetic, so he let it go.

“Never mind.”

Dinner was pleasant. It was helpful that she hadn’t asked him about work or why he had suddenly become busier than he’d expected. They spoke as easily as they had every other time they had been together. For a moment he questioned whether it was too easy, but quickly dismissed it when she laughed as he told her about one of his more bizarre cases from back at the Brooklyn DA and the line around her eyes crinkled softly, something that somehow made her more attractive.

“Ok…” Alice sat a little taller in her seat and leaned forward, “so would you rather,” Rafael rolled his eyes, but it only made Alice smile as she spoke, “be the DA for Brooklyn or have to remain an ADA for the duration of your career in Manhattan?”

“I’d stay in Manhattan, DA is not my end goal.” Rafael smirked.

“That’s right…” Alice leaned back in her chair running her eyes over him, “you’d make a really hot professor.”

“Not a really hot judge?” His eyes crinkled when hers did.

“When have you ever heard anyone talk about how attractive some judge was… their professor though…” Alice grinned and wiggled her brows at him.

“I can assume you’ve had a thing for one or two then.” Rafael chuckled.

“Unrequited, but yes.”

“When I get to the point of deciding my next step in life, I’ll be sure to factor in how attractive I’ll appear.”

Alice grinned and stuck a bite of food in her mouth.

“So you see me more as a professor than a judge?”

“I said you’d make a hot professor, what you ultimately decide to do with your life is your decision.”

Rafael smiled at her response as he swirled his scotch. “Would you rather be forced to live in clutter in your ideal home, or live in an organized run down shack that barely had space for you?”

“Is the shack dirty?”

“No,” he chuckled, “but you’d have to clean it yourself.”

“And the ideal home?”

“It comes with a maid service, it just… you know… has things.”

Alice chewed on her lip.

“It’s not that difficult.” Rafael smirked.

“You underestimate how much I despise cleaning and clutter…” She tapped her index finger between her teeth as she thought. “The shack. I can’t think with clutter.” She sounded exasperated and he chuckled.

“That’s very telling.”

“That’s the point of dating right? To learn each others idiosyncrasies.”

“The directness one of yours is…” He exhaled instead of completing his thought.

“Is what?” She smirked.

“A turn on.”

“We’ll see how long that last.” Alice chuckled.

Rafael didn’t ask if he could, he just walked her to her door. After the exchange when he picked her up, he had half expected her to suggest he didn’t need to, but she didn’t. Instead she held his hand as they made their way to her door. Of course when they reached it and he turned her to face him, he realized he wouldn’t have been able to kiss her goodnight as privately while in front of her building.

“If our work doesn’t interfere would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?” He asked as he moved closer.

“I would.” Alice smiled while she snaked her hand up his neck and into the back of his hair, tugging him gently to her lips.

The embrace wasn’t short, neither of them concerned with much besides the connection between them.

“Do you want to stay?” She panted, pulling back just enough to look at him.

Rafael’s eyes met hers. “You don’t have to get up early?”

“Oh…” she took a tiny step backwards, “if you don’t…”

“I want to.” It was the first time he had seen her confidence falter. “I was only concerned for your sleep.”

Alice turned to unlock her door, holding it open for him. “I’m perfectly capable of insuring I get enough sleep.”

Rafael tugged his lower lip between his teeth, not that it did much to hide the smirk, and entered her apartment, taking the space in fully as she locked the door.

“You’re shoes.” She didn’t ask, just gestured to the bin she had opened and set her own shoes in.

Rafael’s eyes crinkled as he tried not to laugh and did as she asked.

“I’m not a germaphobe… I work in a hospital. It’s more of a sanitary issue. There are just somethings you don’t bring in and track around your home.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Though he was smirking again.

“You didn’t have to.” She smirked back.

Rafael smiled at her, then turned his attention back to her apartment. “You have a swing in your living room.”

“No,” she took his hand, dragging him toward her bedroom, “I have a hanging bubble chair in my living room.”

“If it looks like I swing and moves like a swing…” He turned so he could still see it as they walked out of the room.

“Fine, it’s a swing, but it’s a neat looking swing that I use as a chair.” Alice smirked, pushing him backwards into her room.

“Your place is very… shiny.”

“Shiny?”

“Yes, shiny.” Rafael chuckled, almost falling on her bed when the back of his calves hit it.

Her bedroom wasn’t much warmer looking than the rest of the apartment. The glossy white bed frame was a modern design, a chunky solid base that appeared to float above the same flooring that ran throughout the rest of her place. The headboard was the same thickness as the base, and it was just as squared off, not a rounded corner to be found. The base jutted out to create built in nightstands, no drawers just a surface to set things… not that they had much on them. One side was completely empty while the other had an alarm clock and cord draped across it to charge her phone. The bed wasn’t designed for a box spring and the mattress was neatly made with extremely light grey pillow cases set atop a muted lilac duvet. The walls of the room were painted a light grey and the rest of the furniture, the dresser that ran along the wall adjacent to her bed and a chair tucked into a corner, continued her overwhelming white theme.

“I like my place.” Alice shrugged as she loosened his tie.

“It’s a little sterile.” He purposely had an impish smile when her eyes met his and was relieved to see the effort she put into her attempt not to smile back.

“Better?” She had full control of her face again, giving nothing away except the slight inflection of a question while dropping his tie to the floor.

“Getting there.” He winked at her and she lost her restraint, laughing as she pushed his suit jacket off, letting it fall to the floor as well.

His lips found hers while she worked the buttons on his shirt, continuing down to his slacks, his own efforts were on her zipper, allowing the dress to fall to her ankles. Alice stepped out of it and kicked it aside, sliding her hands up his chest, just under his shirt, pushing both it and along with the suspenders off his shoulders.

Rafael lifted her, setting her on the bed beneath him, a feat that was harder than he anticipate since the bed was fairly low to the ground. He slid his slacks off and crawled above her as she inched backwards toward her pillows.

“Do you ever where a bra?” He panted, almost immediately pressing his lips to hers again.

Alice tugged at his undershirt. “Most of the time…” he lifted so she could pull it over his head, “just not when I’m hoping to get laid.”

“You dressed with this in mind?” He lifted his hips when she tugged at his boxer briefs.

“Yes.” Her eyes met his and he quickly kicked the underwear down his legs, officially becoming the first to be completely nude despite her decision to only wear two garments.

His kisses moved down her neck to her chest, focussing a fair amount of attention there before he slid the black panties over her hips. Kissing down her torso as he slid them lower, settling at her center when they landed in the floor with the rest of their clothing. He could feel her eyes on him as he ran his hands up the back of her thighs, positioning them in a way that opened her up to him. He glanced up at her but she didn’t avert her eyes, merely bit her lip as her chest rose and fell rapidly between them. He feathered kisses along her inner thigh in the direction of her apex, tonguing softly once her reached it. Her fingers laced into his hair urging him on, so he slid his tongue along her slit, dragging upward slowly before circling her clit, taking a bit of pride in the fact that her grip on his hair tightened and then repeated the motion. Alice moaned softly, so he repeated it again and again, focusing more on her clit with each pass until he was only focused on it, alternating between swirling and suckling. She groaned and gripped the duvet cover with her free hand, not lessening her hold on his hair. Rafael slid two fingers into her, moving them in and out a few times and the curling them.

“Fuck.” She panted as her body jerked from him.

He felt her legs tremble as she forced them to remain open and glance up to see her hands move to her face, covering it as she moaned into them and her back arched. He focused his attention back to her clit and curled his fingers again.

“My god.” It sounded raspy and her voice cracked as her body trembled, twitching at his touch until she finally couldn't take anymore and tug at his hair again.

Rafael kissed back up to her lips and then wrapped her in his arms as she recovered. “I thought you had the god complex?” He chuckled when her breathing leveled out.

Alice turned in his arms so that she faced him, her expression a clear attempt to hide her amusement. “Rafael…”

“Yes.”

“Shut up and fuck me.” This time she did smile and he chuckled as he pulled her beneath him, pressing their lips together as he eased himself inside her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaving this one open to ideas and suggestions.


	6. Chapter 6

Rafael woke to what had to have been the most annoying sound on the planet. His eyes popped opened as his hands moved to cover his ears. Alice chuckled and reached across him to shut her alarm off.

“Why on earth is that god awful noise what you use to wake up?”

“You’re awake aren’t you?” She grinned.

Rafael had to admit he was indeed awake. Normally there was an adjustment period where he floated between half awake and half asleep until he shifted more to the awake side of things. He hadn’t experienced that this morning, he was just… awake.

“Do you have time for coffee?”

“Not really,” Alice sighed, resting her hand on his cheek, “I’m actually about to kick you out so you don’t distract me from my efforts to get to work on time.”

“And how would I distract you?” Rafael smirked while running his hands over her hips to grip her ass so he could tug her closer.

“I’m serious Rafael.” Alice looked at him sternly, but not as though she were annoyed. “It’s six and I still have to shower and get ready.”

“You wear scrubs to work, how long could it possibly take you to get ready?” He hadn’t let her go, instead tightened his hold on her.

Alice’s eyes softened as she ran her hand through his hair. “I change into scrubs when I get there, so if you want me to look halfway decent for our possible date later you’d better let me get up.”

“Why wouldn’t you just wear what you’re going to wear to work instead of changing?”

“I have meetings, and Keiko has a septal myectomy this afternoon that I’d like to watch,” Alice’s face lit up, “it has to be preformed on a motionless heart.”

“Keiko?”

“Dr. Keiko Aoki.”

“What does her surgery have to do with whether you wear scrubs or not?” He smirked.

“It will run late so I will leave straight from the hospital to meet up with you,” she poked her finger into his chest, “that means we need to get up.”

“Fine.” Rafael conceded, reluctantly relaxing the hold he had on her.

“Send for your car and you can shower with me while you wait.”

“That’ll give us twenty minutes at best…” He grumbled as he crawled out of bed after her.

“We’re just showering.” She chuckled over her shoulder.

Her bathroom was as he expected, very clean and sterile looking, mostly white with accents of light grey.

“You’re cleaning service either loves or hates your place.” He chuckled as she turned on the water.

“It’s not actually a cleaning service as much as a lady I hirer. Janet’s a single mom who started cleaning apartments when her husband unexpectedly passed away. It’s just her, so I’m not sure if it constitutes an actual service or not, but she’s thorough and yes, she loves my apartment.” Alice pulled him into her shower with her. “She’s told me it’s her favorite because she never has to clean up messes, just maintain things.”

“You should really use a service, they’re insured if one of their employees steals from you.” Rafael watched her dunk her head under the flow of water, though his eyes shifted lower when hers closed.

“I’ve employed Janet for seven years, I’m pretty sure if she were going to steal something she’d have done so by now.” Alice reached up and pulled his head under the water, chuckling when he smiled at her hands mussing through his hair as she wet it. “Here.” She handed him her shampoo after squeezing a dollop into her own hand.

Rafael sniffed it, just to see if he’d be smelling fruity or flowery at work, furrowed his brow when he couldn’t smell anything and sniffed again.

“It’s unscented.” She chuckled.

“Why?”

“I’m sensitive to smells and find it easier not be surrounded by them consistently.” Alice shrugged, then rinsed the shampoo from her hair.

“So my cologne?” Rafael asked before rinsing his own hair.

“You smell nice.” She grinned, but he only caught it briefly before water ran over his eyes forcing them closed.

“I mean, does it bother you?”

“No… if I were to put it on and wear it for a few hours I’d probably have a headache, but you wearing doesn’t effect me. It’s not overpowering and doesn’t transfer to me when we get squelchy, so I’m good.”

“Squelchy?” He laughed, pushing his wet hair back with his hands.

“It’s probably my favorite euphemism.” Alice lathered up a loofa, “You want me to wash you or are you doing it yourself?” She had a little smile on her face as she held the loofa higher.

Rafael took her body wash and squeezed some into his hand. “I better do it myself, you touching me… after talk of getting squelchy… and you may not make it to work on time.”

“Hmmm…” Rafael watched, maybe a bit more than he should have, as Alice began washing herself, “I like a man with self control.”

“You’re more than a little incorrigible.” He smirked, drawing his eyes back to her face before blood rushed to an appendage he’d rather it didn’t.

Alice smiled and rinsed the soap, moving to create room for him to do the same. Their bodies were close, almost touching, sometimes touching, depending on how they moved. Her left hand pushed up his chest and around the back of his neck, her eyes locked with his as she guided him to her lips. “I’ll make it up to you tonight.” Her voice sounded as salacious as he felt, giving him the sense that their shower was having just as much an effect on her as it was him. Lips crashed together, neither waiting for his response as hands gripped the other and her breast pressed against his chest. Rafael kissed her until he felt himself begin to stir and then pulled back, panting slightly as he rested his forehead against hers.

“I swear if my work keeps me late tonight…” He grumbled this, but didn’t finish the threat to his job… it would be empty anyway. They had that in common… the whole putting work first thing… but in this moment, when all he wanted to do was push her against the tile wall and thrust into her from behind…

“Call me when you can leave, even if so late you end up just coming over for sex.” Alice breathed, interrupting his thoughts as she pushed up to kiss him again. Rafael groaned against her lips, but managed to keep himself from physically responding to her body pressing against his again.

“Ok…” he exhaled deeply, pulling back from her.

Alice looked simultaneously pleased with how much he wanted her and flushed with her own desires. He almost hated how much he was turned on by her delight in his worked up state… Almost…

She switched the water off and tossed him a towel as she wrapped herself in one. “You’re car should be here.” She smiled while walking him to her room so he could get dressed.

The underwear, the undershirt, then his dress shirt, and pants, that’s the order he quickly dressed in, tucking things in when needed and slipping the suspenders back over his shoulders. Everything else was scooped up in his arms. His bare feet padding along the cold floor as they walked to her front door.

Alice sat his shoes on the floor by the door and glanced up at him before he stepped into them. “Jesus this is going to be a long day…” She murmured, pushing up to kiss him again.

“For you and me both…” He sighed when their lips parted.

“Earth to Barba.” Rollins chuckled from her desk as she tossed a wadded up piece of paper at him.

He had zoned out, thinking about his shower that morning… thinking about Alice… and what he wanted to do to her later…

“I stopped listening to your lack of new information half an hour ago.” He deadpanned.

“I guess you’re not hungry then.” Rollins shrugged.

“We’re talking food?” Rafael’s interest peaked and a brow lifted when he felt his stomach growl and glanced at the clock. It was already four but he was fairly confident he’d be stuck at the precinct for at least two more hours.

“We’re ordering from Civic, what do you want?” Liv asked before Rollins could make a snide comment.

“Pastrami on rye and a bag of chips.” Rafael replied while pulling out his phone to text Alice.

RB: We worked through lunch and are eating later than planned.

AH: You just want to get me in bed faster.

Rafael shifted in his seat as he glanced around the room of detectives that seemed to not be paying attention to him.

RB: I’m only suggesting a snack.

AH: Maybe I want to get you in bed faster.

“Everything ok?” Liv asked when Rafael audibly exhaled after reading Alice’s text.

“Yeah… just… the mayor wants an update and I’ve got nothing to give him.” It was a lie, but Liv didn’t have to know that.

He stood and moved out of the bullpen before texting her back.

RB: Does that mean you’ll eat something?

AH: You can owe me dinner. After this morning I’m more concerned with dessert anyway.

RB: My place or yours?

AH: Mine. I’ll text when I’m leaving work.

RB: I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.

AH: Ok, and Raf…

He rolled his eyes as he chuckled.

RB: Yes…

AH: If you take too long I will start without you.

That was not the visual he needed to help him focus, but he smiled anyway.

RB: As long as I can join in, you can do whatever you want to yourself before I get there.

AH: You can only join if you make it before I finish.

Rafael locked his screen and took a breath before joining the others in the bullpen again. “Have you placed the food order yet?”

“Fin’s calling now.” Rollins replied, not bothering to look up from her work.

“Fin, can you add two brownies to the order?” Rafael asked softly in hopes no one else would hear.

“Two?” Fin held the receiver away from his mouth, while still listening to it ring on the other end.

“Two.” Rafael nodded.

The white paper bag with his two brownies inside was sitting next to him as he leaned against the table the detectives had moved to after lunch.

“I may have something…” Rollins announced, pulling a website up on the monitor so everyone could see. “Each girl was a member of this musician’s fan site.”

“That’s a bit of a stretch…” Rafael muttered.

“Let me finish,” Rollins chided, “all of them were active on the site…”

“How active?”

Rollins rolled her eyes at Rafael’s inability to just let her speak. “Daily post, lots of back and forth with other members, they had all even spoke with each other at one time or another. Their fan site profiles have links to their personal pages… it wouldn’t be that hard for someone to find out where they lived.”

“Has anyone on the site corresponded with each of them?” Carisi asked.

“Lot’s of people have had contact with each of them… it’s like this site was their social network.” Rollins sighed.

“That makes sense. From what I’ve found out about their personal lives they didn’t have many friends… mostly kept to themselves.” Carisi added.

Rafael felt his phone vibrate and glanced at it as he continued to listen to the thoughts being thrown around.

AH: I’m leaving now.

“You think someone stalked them from this website?” Fin asked.

“It’s not that hard.” Rollins shrugged. “I’ve already located four other girls who are similar enough to be our serials next target and I’ve only been looking through it for a few hours.”

“Can you find the locations of the four you mentioned?” Rafael asked.

“It will take some digging.”

“See what you can find and if anyone’s been reported missing,” Liv stated, “also see if you can find anyone on that sight that looks good for this.”

“That’ll take longer…” Rollins sighed.

“Why?” Rafael asked.

“Some profiles are active… very active, while others are more watchers. They’re on everyday but hey don’t actually participate, they just kind of observe.”

“Yeah, but… my money’s on this guy making some form of contact first,” Carisi countered. “Most of these types are going to try to reach out to their victim at some point before abducting them.”

“I’m with Carisi,” Liv nodded, “go through their messages and communication on the site itself… Carisi can help.”

“I’m going to give the mayor an update and head out. Call me if you make headway tonight, otherwise I’ll see you in the morning.” Rafael stated while pulling out his phone and grabbing his bag of brownies.

“What’s with the brownies?” Fin frowned.

When he had handed them to Rafael, Rafael had thanked him and immediately took one of the discarded food bags and placed them back inside.

“There for later.”

“You should have gone with the chocolate chip cookies.” Carisi said dismissively as he searched through members on the fan site.

“Why?” For a moment Rafael thought he meant Alice would have preferred the cookie to the brownie, but Carisi didn’t know he was going to see Alice… or did he? He had no idea how often they talked and how open Alice was with him.

“Their cookies are better than their brownies.” Carisi shrugged.

Rafael stared at him for a moment and then turned to leave.

RB: On my way.

Alice didn’t say anything when she opened the door, just dragged him inside, shut it behind him and pushed him against it.

“Your shoes.” She breathed, pushing up to kiss him while reaching to lock the door behind him.

Rafael chuckled into their kiss and kicked his shoes off.

“What’s in the bag?” She asked, her lips moving down his jawline to his neck.

“Brownies.” It came out as more of a groan when her hand very intentionally felt him through his slacks.

“Cute.” She smirked, pressing her lips to his again.

Rafael reached his hand into her hair, tightening his grip as he walked her backwards. He worried that if he didn’t take charge she may pull him to the floor and ride him in her entryway. Alice didn’t seemed to mind though, instead she took the bag from him and tossed it on her kitchen island as he walked her passed it.

Alice wasted little time stripping him to his underwear and pushing him back on her bed. Her dress was removed in seconds and he had barely inched backwards enough for his feet to be on the bed before she was straddling him.

“I’m almost relieved to know this has been on your mind all day as well,” he panted as Alice lowered her lips to his again.

She slipped her underwear off, tossing it to the floor, chuckling as he flipped her beneath him. Her hands then tugged at his boxer briefs, pushing them over his ass and he wiggled them the rest of the way off.

“All day?” Her voice was playful and Rafael rolled his eyes.

“Most of it.” He kissed down her neck to her chest, taking a nipple in his mouth when she reached her hand into his hair, unconcerned for his efforts to style it that morning, and tugged backwards so he’d look at her.

“I want you inside me.”

Rafael smirked as he kissed back up to her lips. “See not just me.”

“You’re…” she moaned as he pushed into her, her back arching her chest toward his.

“Was there more to that?” Rafael was settled deep within her passage, unmoving as he smiled down at her.

“Just that you’re not allowed to shower with me tomorrow morning.” There was a playful tone to her voice, stirring that fluttering feeling in his lower abdomen again.

He pulled out and thrust back into her. “Why’s that?”

“Too distracting.” Alice smiled, lifting to meet him when he thrust again.

“Far too distracting…” Rafael groaned, pushing his face into her shoulder, pumping into her as her hand guided his lips back to hers.

Alice had slipped his dress shirt on and tossed him his underwear before grinning at him as she left her bedroom. He quickly slipped them on, grabbed his phone from his pants pocket, and followed, finding her in the kitchen with the two clear plastic clam cases containing their brownies set out on the counter in front of her.

“What did you end up eating for dinner?” Rafael smiled as he approached, slipping his arm around her as he set his phone on the counter.

“I just grabbed something from the cafeteria.”

“That’s depressing.”

He felt bad for not paying attention and working through lunch, because as much as he had been distracted by thoughts of her, he had still been rather focused. Dodd’s, the DA, and the Commissioner breathing down their necks so the city could keep things in house hadn’t exactly afforded him the luxury of daydreaming.

“Not really, the food isn’t bad if you know what to get.” Alice handed him a fork and slid one of the plastic containers closer to him, popping her own open and taking a bite of brownie.

Rafael opened his container and sighed. “Tomorrow I’ll actually take you to dinner.” He pulled her closer, tucking her under his arm and kissed the top o her head.

“I’m good with how things worked out.” Alice looked up and pressed her lips to his, a kiss he readily returned. 

“Yes, but I don’t want you to think I’m only here for sex.”

“I didn’t think that, but it’s nice to hear you say it.” Alice smirked while taking another bite of brownie.

Rafael started to speak, but huffed instead when his phone rang. “Barba.” He could guess who it was, but hadn’t bothered with looking.

“We need you back. The press has caught the story and we need to get you caught up before the press conference the Commissioner has scheduled for tomorrow morning.” Liv didn’t wait for him to confirm he’d return, just assumed and hung up.

“You have to go back to work?”

“I’m sor…”

“I told you you don’t have to apologize for work.” Alice chuckled as she ran her hand through his disheveled hair, trying to reshape it as best she could.

“I’m going to need my shirt back.” He sighed.

She slipped it off and handed it to him causing him to groan while scanning her with his eyes. “Incorrigible.” He smirked, leaning down to kiss her.

Rafael knew his hair was untidy and his clothes were wrinkled, but he didn’t have time to swing by his place and change. He hadn’t been away from the precinct that long and knew the moment he walked back in he’d be met with inquisitive stares.

“Barba…” Liv had probably planned to say more, but instead stood there with her mouth open, as though whatever she had planned to say had momentarily escaped her thoughts.

“Can we make this quick?” He grumbled.

“Got some place you’d rather be?” Rollins smirked while blatantly scanning his disheveled appearance.

“Not anymore…” Rafael muttered, he had only meant that the night was lost. That by the time SVU was through with him it would be too late to show up at Alice’s door, especially when he would need to prepare what he planned to say at the press conference. Still, he could see how his statement could be easily misinterpreted and the look Carisi gave him hadn’t gone unnoticed.


	7. Chapter 7

He returned to his office after the press conference to get a bit of work done and rewatch himself on the recording Carmen had made for him. It wasn’t a vanity thing, he actually hated seeing himself on camera, he needed to take notes on what was said. He wasn’t the only one to speak and he had a tendency to hyper focus on his own talking points. After the fourth time to scanned through it, he flipped the iPad closed and moved on to the paperwork that was piling up thanks to the amount of time he was spending at the precinct. When he felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket he muttered a few profanities under his breath, assuming it would be work related.

AH: I like that grey suit with the light purple shirt.

The scowl he had previously worn quickly contorted into a small smile.

RB: Stalker.

RB: Also, there’s purple plaid within the grey suit. It’s subtle, but it’s there.

AH: You’re very attractive when you’re all authoritative and stuff.

RB: …and stuff?

AH: *shrugs*

Rafael chuckled. He had worried that his tease wouldn’t translate over text, but her response told him that it had.

RB: I take it you saw the news this morning.

AH: I was pleasantly surprised by your grumpy face filling one of the screens in the waiting room after my surgery ended.

RB: I didn’t look grumpy.

AH: Sure you didn’t.

He rolled his eyes, not that she could see him.

AH: Dr. Elms and a few other interns saw you too, which prompted a very lengthy conversation with them speculating over our relationship.

RB: Speculating?

AH: I stay out of the hospital gossip.

RB: Even when it’s about you?

AH: I can’t stop them from talking, but I’ve found over the years that if you don’t participate they get bored.

RB: What did they think our relationship was?

AH: I’ll tell you tonight over dinner, that’s what I was initially texting you about.

RB: So you didn’t intend the twenty minute texting conversation that should have been a phone call?

AH: You seriously have no concept of time.

Rafael chuckled at her text, but his had been an intended exaggeration since he felt texting was for quick communication, while anything drawn out should be a call. He felt she probably knew that though…

RB: What did you want to tell me about dinner?

AH: Unless something comes up I should be able to get out of here by six.

RB: And you’re off tomorrow?

AH: I am, but you’re not.

RB: I know. I may get out later than I’d like and was hoping you’d still be up for dinner if it ended being closer to eight.

AH: Once I leave the building I’m free for two days so I’m flexible. Text or call when you have an idea when you can leave.

RB: See you tonight.

Rafael smiled as he set his phone on his desk, his day having drastically improved. He was sure he’d feel differently once he ventured back to the precinct and had to deal with the detectives that were irritated the FBI had taken over their investigation. What could he do about it though? Once word got out the mayor had felt calling in the FBI would help reassure the public that they were doing everything they could to find whoever was dumping bodies in their city.

The sixteenth precinct was the busiest he’d ever seen it when he finally arrived late that afternoon. Each borough had a representative present, communicating with the detectives in their respective areas, and the FBI had at least ten agents taking over the conference room. Dodds was even floating around somewhere.

“You want me to introduce you?” Liv asked when he entered her office.

Rafael shook his head. “I wouldn’t remember their names anyway.”

“Oh come on, your memory is better than that.”

“Yes, but I’m indifferent to their names so…” He shrugged dismissively.

“How late are you sticking around your office today?”

“I finished up most of my paperwork before heading over here in hopes of not having to go back. Why?”

“I’m having dinner with an old friend and thought you might like to join.” Rafael knitted his brow, his lips slightly parted while he determined her motive for inviting him. “She’s smart and nice,” Liv’s voice softened as she muttered more to herself than to him, “probably too nice for you…”

Rafael laughed as he realized what she was doing. “You’re trying to set me up?”

“I’m just inviting you to meet her.” Liv lifted her hands up forfeiting any further attempts to talk her friend up.

“While I appreciate your lack of faith in my ability to find my own dates, I actually do have one tonight.”

Liv grinned. “So yesterday evening when you came back to the precinct all disheveled, had you been with whoever your date’s with tonight?”

“Do you actually have dinner plans with a friend or was that an elaborate ruse to extort information from me?” Rafael grumbled.

“I do have plans with a friend,” Liv chuckled, “but she’d drive you absolutely crazy.”

“Why’s that?”

“She’s not stubborn enough to banter with you.” Rafael smiled when Liv’s statement caused Alice to enter his mind. “I take it your date is.”

Rafael nodded. “It’s a fine line to walk. Stubborn banter can easily turn into a fight, but with Alice it’s more… tongue and cheek. She’s direct and to the point if she’s serious about something, it makes it easy to know the banters just for fun.”

“And what does Alice do?”

“She’s a plastic surgeon.”

“Wait… the same Alice that was Carisi’s date to your party last weekend?” Liv looked a bit surprised, but was hiding it well… at least until he answered.

“She was his date, but it wasn’t a date.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means they’re friends.” Rafael huffed.

Liv’s expression transformed into one indicating amusement and Rafael rolled his eyes.

“I just can’t imagine you being interested in someone who’s a friend of Carisi’s.” She tried, but failed not to laugh.

“Well, I am.” Rafael muttered. “Do you have anything case related to talk to me about?”

Liv’s eyes were still crinkled as she smiled, but she moved on to the case they were working, updating him with the information the FBI had brought with them. Dodds joined moments later updating him even further.

Rafael listened as he sat in on the FBI’s briefing at the end of the day, thankful he had opted to spend the majority of his morning catching up on work in his office. They had made little progress on identifying their serial and he had managed to wrap most of his paperwork up. This meant he might actually be able to spend Saturday with Alice if she were interested in spending it with him.

The agents returned to the conference room once the briefing ended and most everyone started wrapping up for the day.

“They’ve said a whole lot of nothing.” Carisi muttered, plopping down in his desk chair.

“We’ve been asked to play nice, Carisi.” Rollins said sarcastically while taking her seat in her own desk.

Rafael shook his head at the two and texted Alice.

RB: I should be able to leave by six thirty.

“You up for drinks in a bit?” Carisi directed his question to Rollins.

“I already agreed to drinks with Gary.” Rollins grinned.

“Who’s Gary?”

“That tall FBI agent over there.” She pointed to a small group that had just exited the conference room.

“Oh…” Carisi grumbled.

Rafael glanced at his phone when it vibrated in his hand.

AH: I’ll be home by six fifteen. Meet me there.

“It’s just drinks Carisi,” Rollins smirked, “he’ll be leaving New York once this case is over.”

After what Alice had told him Rafael felt a little bad for Carisi, something he wasn’t used to feeling toward him, annoyance being the most common feeling he attributed to the detective. He knew as well as Carisi that there was a pretty decent chance Rollins would sleep with the guy, and as much as he’d hate to admit it, he’d been there before.

Rafael considered inviting Carisi to dinner with him and Alice. It would both give Carisi something besides Rollins to occupy his mind with and satiate his curiosity about how Carisi and Alice got along when they were together. He had his phone in his hands to text Alice for her opinion when a text came through from her instead.

AH: Bra or no bra?

RB: Surprise me.

His previous thoughts of inviting Carisi were gone as he shoved his phone in his pocket, staying just long enough to not be the first one out the door.

“Are you always going to come to my door when you pick me up?” She hadn’t mentioned anything when he knocked on her door. She hadn’t mentioned anything in the car either… Only now that she smiled at him over the rim of her martini glass did she bring it up.

“And I’ll always walk you to your door when I drop you back off as well.” He smirked.

“Yeah, but that’s because you’re hoping to be invited in.”

“No, it’s to ensure you make it safely inside… and then in hopes of being invited in.”

Alice chuckled and took another sip of her drink. “So, do you want to know what gossip is being spread around the hospital about you?”

“You mean us?”

“No, I mean you.” Alice smiled when Rafael lifted a brow. “I’ll take that as a yes. So, apparently, you are very attractive but you dress too nice… I’m not exactly sure why that was a negative, the nurse who said it got paged before she could finish explaining. Oh… also,” Alice was grinning now, “and I’m quoting, I’d let him speak to me in whatever language he wanted to. That was not followed by an, you know what I mean and an elbow jab, but in my head it was.”

“Thanks.” Rafael chuckled. “What about the gossip pertaining to us.”

“That’s currently still restricted to the intern pool, but by the time I return to work it may have ventured to the nurses… possibly a few residents… especially if you’re on the news again. There is a bit of a disagreement amongst the interns on our relationship. We are either friends, since I’m apparently too unapproachable to be involved with someone, or there’s something wrong with you.”

“You’re not unapproachable.”

“I am to interns.” Alice smirked.

“Have you not dated anyone you work with for them to gossip about?”

“Not at Mercy.” She smiled in way that peaked his interest.

“During your residency at New York Presbyterian then?”

“Yep. I dated one of my attendings… my first year of residency… it didn’t end well. It’s part of the reason why I moved to Mercy and a big reason why I avoid the hospital dating cesspool. Way too much drama.”

“An intern dating an attending, that’s like dating your teacher or boss.”

“Both.” Alice smirked.

Rafael shook his head in amusement. “You’re an attending now, dating another doctor can’t be filled with that much drama.”

“Have you dated any of your colleagues?”

“Ahh…” It clicked when she put it that way. “I haven’t.”

“People who work in hospitals date. Relationships that cross hierarchies, the ones that give interns an advantage for example, they are frowned upon, but not necessarily forbidden. When you work in a hospital you basically live there. It leaves little time for a life outside of it, which makes it hard to meet people. I just prefer to avoid sleeping with people that I’ll have to continue to work with if things go south.” She shrugged slightly and took another sip of her martini.

“How did you meet Carisi?” He’d been curious about their relationship for entirely too long, but planned not to berate her with a zillion questions at once. Instead, he hope he could ease them into the conversation.

Alice smiled and he wasn’t sure if was at the memory of meeting Carisi in general, a thought that triggered a sense of jealousy, or if it was because meeting Carisi had been a humorous event.

“Sonny brought his niece in when he accidentally hit her in the nose with a football.” Rafael lifted a brow and Alice chuckled. “It was Thanksgiving and I guess the whole family was play tag football or something… it was an accident. Mia was gushing blood, and Sonny felt terrible. He kept insisting she be looked at by a plastic surgeon.”

“So they called you?”

“It was Thanksgiving and we were shorter staffed than normal. I was helping out in the pit between surgeries and already in the room assessing Mia. It took a while to convince Sonny that I was actually a plastic surgeon, but once I did he relaxed a bit and started bombarding me with questions about whether her nose was broken or not.”

“And was it.” Rafael smiled while taking a sip of his scotch.

“Nope. Noses bleed fairly easily when hit, even with minor injuries. She had a bit of swelling for a few days, but after that her nose was back to normal.”

“How did you two become friends or start dating?” He almost kicked himself for pushing, but Alice didn’t seem to mind the question.

“I gave him my number so he could call if he had questions. It’s not something I typically do… give out my personal number… but he was attractive and I found his rather spastic approach to getting the best treatment for his niece kind of sweet.”

Rafael smirked. “So you hit on him?”

“I gave him my number so he could call if he had questions about his niece. I didn’t hit on him.”

“I assume he called.”

“Four days later when Mia’s nose was back to normal, to apologize for his behavior.”

It still didn’t answer how they became friends, how they started dating… why they stopped dating… “What happened when he called?” It seemed like a logical question, like he was just continuing with the topic they were talking about, but her chuckle told him she knew he was prying. “I’m sorry, I don’t need to know.”

Alice shrugged as she smiled at him. “Sonny asked me if he could take me out, to apologize in person… something completely unnecessary, but,” she gave him an impish grin, “I wanted to. Dinner went well, then we decided to grab a few drinks… one thing led to another…”

“How’d the relationship end?”

“I’m not sure a relationship every really started. Our second date was awkward, two people basically staring at each other. I think we ended up having sex again just to give ourselves something to do, and that was as good as the first time. It was strange, because if we labelled it a date, we’d have absolutely nothing to say to the other. If we met up just to have sex we’d end up talking all night about absolutely nothing. We finally gave up trying to force a relationship and became friends. I consider him one of my best friends now and still have no interest in dating him, so I think it worked out the way it was meant to.”

Her explanation helped ease his mind a bit on whether the two had some kind of deep seated feelings for the other. A worry that had crept into his mind on more than one occasion.

“So you two never really dated.”

“I never said we did. I said we tried dating a few years back and ended up being friends.” Alice smiled.

Rafael held the car door for her, and she pushed up to whisper in his ear as she passed. “We should go to your place.”

“Why mine?” He followed her into the car, settling in the seat next to her.

“Because I don’t have to be anywhere at a specific time tomrrow, but you do. It’d be easier on you in the morning.”

“I like how you just assume we’re sleeping together.” He chuckled, slipping her hand in his.

“Oh, we’re definitely sleeping together.”

Alice pushed up to kiss him once they were alone in his apartment and Rafael pulled her closer, one arm wrapped tightly around her while the other brought his hand higher, resting against her neck, thumb grazing her cheek. They continued to kiss as he walked her to his bedroom, chuckling occasionally when they’d bump into a wall or door frame due to their attention being less than focused on their destination.

Rafael slid the zipper of her dress down and Alice stepped back to slip it off. He took a sharp intake of air as she stood in front of him wearing navy blue lace one piece, that honestly did very little to cover her. The front all but transparent and the back almost nonexistent.

“Not that I mind, but is there an actual purpose to wearing that other than the instant physical reaction it elicits?”

“Nope,” Alice moved closer, her fingers working his buttons, “it’s actually rather uncomfortable and supports absolutely nothing.”

“So you do understand the concept of owning something purely for its aesthetic.” He smirked this despite the fact that she had moved behind him to tug his shirt off.

“This lives happily in a drawer in my closet. It’s not clutter.”

Rafael chuckled and pulled her back in front of him, kissing her as he walked her backward. He pushed her back on his bed, ignoring her giggle as he quickly removed his remaining articles of clothing and climbed above her.

“Does my clutter bother you?” He smirked while kissing down her neck.

“Not as long as it’s in your place and not mine.” Alice panted as he slipped a strap off her shoulder, sliding the lingerie down her chest, planting kisses in his wake.

He wondered briefly what would happen if they ever moved in together… how their styles would mesh… would she expect him to get rid of what she considered clutter? Rafael quickly dismissed his pondering. He hadn’t even known her a week, it was a bit soon to start thinking about cohabitation. He smiled as he tongued her nipple, another thought occurring to him… _it was just stuff_.


	8. Chapter 8

The FBI finally seemed to have a lead in their case, of course it wasn’t actually their lead. Rollins had been digging through the different members on the fan site the victims had been members of. Cross referencing all communication the girls had had with various men. She had excluded all women from her search since semen had been found on each body.

Initially the FBI had been on board with the fan site connection, but when they couldn’t place a single member communicating with each of the victims, they had moved on to new leads. Rollins hadn’t given up though. She continued to look into the guys that had sent the victims private messages, finding something odd. Each girl had multiple messages that were worded very similarly. The problem was they were all from different guys. When she started digging into the guys that had sent the messages, she discovered the messages were all sent from the same IP address.

She took this information to Gary, who then shared it with the rest of his team. Moments later they were gearing up and headed out the door without bothering to update SVU.

“I guess they located a physical address for the IP address you found.” Carisi muttered as the last of the agents exited the bullpen.

“Maybe they’ll find our serial and we can have our precinct back.” Rollins replied, sounding just as irritated.

“You and Gary not hit it off?” This idea seemed to perk Carisi up.

“No we did,” Rollins smirked, “made plans for tonight as well.”

“Barba, can you join us?” Liv was leaning out of her office, Dodds visibly pacing behind her.

Rafael refrained from rolling his eyes and entered her office, leaving the other two to continue the conversation he was never really a part of without him.

“I’d like to get a statement ready for when they arrest this guy.” Dodds stated as Liv shut the door.

“And if they don’t arrest anyone?” Rafael sat in one of the chairs across from Liv’s desk.

“Then we can revise it when they make an arrest.”

Rafael nodded and began to work with them on a statement. He was honestly hopeful that the FBI would make an arrest and life could return to normal. That and it gave him a better chance of not having his weekend interrupted.

Three hours later and Rafael found himself in front of news cameras along with Jeff, the Communications Director for the FBI. The statement he had spent the last few hours writing with Dodds, proving to be unnecessary since Jeff did all the talking, thanking NYPD for their input, but giving credit to the FBI.

“What was the point of having you up there anyway.” Rollins huffed when Rafael reentered the bullpen.

Carisi rolled his eyes and flipped the television off.

“What was I supposed to do, push the guy off the podium?” Rafael pulled his lips to one side as he furrowed his brow at her.

“I don’t know,” Rollins grumbled, “they didn’t even take the fan site lead seriously until I basically made their case for them.”

“It’s the FBI, what did you expect.” Carisi shrugged.

“A little acknowledgement.”

“Maybe you should cancel your date with Gary, prove a point.”

“And what, hangout with you instead?” Rollins smiled, “I’d rather have the option of getting laid and you made it pretty clear you want more than sex.”

Rafael glanced between the two and inched his way back out of the bullpen and toward the elevator before the conversation became more awkward for him than it already was. He would call Liv on the way back to his office.

“Here’s the last of the files Mr. Barba.” Carmen had knocked on his door and was now walking toward his desk, the files stretched out in front of her.

“Thanks.” Rafael rubbed his eyes, the day feeling much too long for it to only be three. “Do I have any appointments this afternoon?”

“No, and that’s the last paperwork I have for you until the Davies motion goes through.”

“Which wont be until Monday.” Rafael tapped his finger against his chin. “Forward the phones and head out, I’m leaving early today.”

Carmen gave him a curious look, but didn’t push when he pulled his phone to his ear and motioned her out of his office.

“Rafael Barba,” Alice playfully drew out his name, barely managing not to chuckle from her end as she answered his call.

“Alice.” He bit his lip as he smiled, standing to close the blinds when he noticed Carmen’s knitted bow as she stared at him through the window.

“I saw your news conference, or should I say the FBI’s Communications Director’s news conference?”

“You pick your battles.” Rafael shrugged, as he sat back at his desk. “I was just a face to have up there with him.”

“I have to say I’d rather look at you than him...” Alice paused a moment, “I’d rather hear you than him.”

“I don’t get peoples obsession with my voice.”

“People are obsessed with your voice?”

“I’ve gotten compliments.” From almost every woman he’d ever dated… he didn’t feel the need to elaborate that much.

“It’s a nice voice.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“When are you leaving work?”

“That’s why I was calling. Are you available now?” Rafael leaned back in his chair, rocking slightly as he waited for her reply.

“I’m not hungry yet, but I’d be up for doing something.”

“Are you home?”

“I am.”

“I’ll head that way then.”

Rafael ended the call and gathered his things, jumping slightly when Carmen was still sitting at her desk as he exited his office.

“I thought I told you to go home.”

“I had a few things to finish first.” Carmen grabbed her purse as he locked the door.

Rafael side eyed her when she followed him onto the elevator. “You’re intrusive.”

“Just curious who you were talking to.” Carmen smiled.

“Why?”

“Because... in the four years I have worked for you, I have never seen you look like that while on the phone.” The very faint lines around her eyes crinkled. “Who is she?”

“Alice.” Rafael didn’t bother to hide his smile from Carmen, she spent more time with him than almost anyone. Fielded calls from his mother amongst the many other entities that called his office... She was the best secretary he’d ever had because she was intuitive and smart, always anticipating what came next. He knew based on the fact that she had annoyingly followed him onto the elevator that there was no point in trying to bluff his way out of her prying into his love life.

“When do I get to meet her?”

“Why would you need to meet her?”

“To make sure she’s good enough for you.” Carmen smirked.

“If it works out for her to meet up for lunch one day I’ll have us meet at my office so your curiosity can be sated.” He stated, turning to look at Carmen.

“That’s all I ask.”

“I still say you’re intrusive.” Rafael chuckled as they exited the elevator.

Carmen merely smiled at him from over her shoulder as she hurried toward the exit.

“That was quick.” Alice smiled when she let him in her apartment.

“I told you I was leaving.”

“Yes, but it’s Friday and after three... I expected you to hit traffic.”

“Surprisingly, there was no traffic.” Rafael stepped closer to her, pulling her to him as his lips pressed against hers.

“You’re shoes.” She mumbled between kisses.

Rafael toed them off and continued to kiss her as she walked him to her couch. Alice pushed him back to sit so she could straddled his thighs, her fingers running through his hair, messing it up to the point he almost stopped her.

“I thought you wanted to do something.” Rafael panted between kisses.

“What did you want to do?” Her eyes bounced between his briefly, closing as her lips covered his again.

“We could go to a museum.” The suggestion was met with a shrug as her lips trailed down the line of his jaw. “Was that a no?”

“I’ve been to most of them.” Alice moved her lips back to his when his hands slid up her sides under her shirt.

“The theatre?” His hands continued upward, pulling her shirt over her head.

“It’s too late to get decent seats for anything worth going to tonight.” Her fingers had begun working the buttons on his shirt the moment it was clear her shirt was coming off.

“We could go for a walk.”

Alice chuckled at how little he was putting into the suggestions now that her hands had unfastened his slacks. “Perhaps later.”

“Yeah... later.” Rafael hummed as she slipped the suspenders off his shoulders, his own hands tugging her jeans down her thighs as she lifted her lower half so that he could.

Alice’s lips found his again as she shifted his slacks just enough to pull him free, stroking him as she did. “You know,” she smiled, wiggling out of her panties as his fingers worked the clasp on her bra, “we don’t have to leave at all.”

“What would you suggest we do while all alone in your apartment.” Rafael smirked, while guiding her above him, making eye contact as she lowered herself.

“I can think of a few things.” It came out strained as he filled her.

“Like what?” His hips thrusted upward, eliciting a soft grunt from her.

“Maybe a game.” Alice purred against his ear, her hips already relentlessly rocking against his.

“A game?”

“You know... Monopoly... strip poker.”

He felt her lips twitch into a smile against his shoulder. “If you think I’m letting you get dressed again, even it’s just to have you strip it back off when I undoubtably beat you at poker, you’re crazy.”

“Monopoly it is then.”

“I hate Monopoly.” Rafael groaned when she lowered herself so that he was fully sheathed again, her arms moving to rest over his shoulders and the back of the couch so she had better leverage when she lifted again.

“Good, I don't own Monopoly. Truth or dare?” Alice grinned from her new vantage point that placed her face just above his.

“It’s a little juvenile.” He smirked.

“Fine, Bridge.”

“We’d need another couple for Bridge.” Alice rolled her eyes, confirming she had only said it to counter his juvenile comment. “If you want to play truth or dare we can.”

“I was joking about truth or dare.”

“I know.”

“Fuck you feel good.” She was lifting herself so that barely his tip was left inside her then slowly lowering back onto him, over and over again, as if she wanted to feel every inch of him entering her.

“Me?” He had shifted himself to give her a better angle, but was otherwise simply enjoying her movements. Movements he had nothing to do with… he could easily make the argument that she felt pretty fucking good as well.

“Yes, you.” Alice moaned, closing her mouth over his, her tongue slipping passed his lips as her fingers pressed lightly against the back of his head.

Rafael gripped her ass, aiding in her downward momentum as he began thrusting upward. He felt her inner walls constrict around him, but she didn’t seem to be to the point of it being something she hadn’t intentionally done. They continued to kiss as she rode him, his hands venturing up to her breast, caressing them while running his fingers over her hardened nipples.

“Raf...” She panted, pulling back from him slightly, just enough to allow him to lean forward and take her nipple in his mouth, tonguing it as his left arm tightened around her waist.

Alice’s arms quickly gripped onto his neck as he lifted and lowered her beneath him on the couch. He was thankful his pants were still high enough to not interfere with his movements as he pumped into her, his mouth still latched to her breast. Her fingers gripped into his hair, tugging harder when her neck arched off the seat of the couch cushion and her leg wrapped around him. This time when she tightened around him he could tell from her breathing and the tenseness of her body that it was reactionary. Rafael thrust through her release, switching to tongue her other nipple as he pushed toward his own.

She was still breathing heavily and he could hear the steady drum of her heart just below his ear as his head rested on her chest, her arms limply draped around his neck as her fingers ran through his hair. He didn’t want to move from her... he never wanted to move from her. His gaze scanned down their bodies, finding humor in the fact that he was almost fully dressed while she laid completely nude beneath him.

“What’s so funny?”

Rafael lifted his head to look at her, the smile from his light chuckle still present on his features. “I’m just trying to figure out how I managed to get your clothes off while I’m...” he motioned with a free hand as his mostly clad state.

“Believe me, if I had wanted your clothes off, they’d be off.” Alice smirked.

Rafael shook his head and shifted them so that she was straddling his thighs again, thankful for his still semi hard state that kept him inside her. “Would you rather me stay clothed the rest of the evening or join you in a more natural state?”

Alice smiled, seemingly humored by his use of would you rather. “I’d rather you stay clothed until I decide to take your clothes off of you.” Her fingers started fastening the buttons on his shirt.

“They’re definitely coming off later?” He arched an eyebrow at her and smiled when she did.

“Definitely... but someone needs to be able to get the door when we order dinner.”

“Does that mean you’re staying like that?”

“That depends... Would you rather me stay completely naked for the remainder of the night or do you want to pick something for me to wear?” The look on her face made him twitch inside her.

“Can I decide after I see my options?”

“No.” Alice sucked her lip between her teeth and patted his chest once she finished with the buttons on his shirt.

Visions of her in that lacy blue thing from the night before ran through his mind and he hoped she had more than the one negligee. “I want to pick something for you to wear.”

She smiled and leaned forward to press her lips to his. “Let’s get you dressed then.”

Her closet was highly organized. Shirts arranged by style and color, slacks and jeans hung in separate areas, dresses ordered by length and color. None of that was what he was looking for. He smiled as Alice leaned against the wall, nothing covering her as she watched him.

“Are any drawers off limits?” He remembered her mentioning the blue lingerie living in a drawer when he teased her about having something for aesthetic appeal and assumed that would be the best place to start.

“Nope.”

Rafael opened and closed each drawer fairly quickly when it was clear what he was looking for wasn’t within, stopping only when his breath caught in his throat at just how many options she actually had. “You have more choices than I expected...”

“You seemed to like the blue one so I did a little shopping this morning.” Rafael lifted a constricting looking white one from the drawer and noticed the tag was still attached. “I can take back something if you don’t like it.”

He glanced at her and then the minimal material that he feared would be extremely uncomfortable. “This one I leave completely up to you.”

“You may change your mind once you see it on.”

“Do I get to see them on you before I decide which one you’ll wear tonight?”

“Pick three and I’ll model them.” Alice chuckled, while shaking her head.

Rafael laid the seven options out on her bed to get a better look at them. He took his time, enjoying the fact that she seemed completely comfortable while wearing absolutely nothing around him. “These three.” He smiled, while removing all but the white one they had previously discussed, mostly because he was curious what it looked like on, a black lace teddy, and a red translucent dress that he knew would barely reach passed her butt and came with matching panties.

“Which one first?” Alice moved toward the bed as she eyed his selection.

“The white one.”

“I may need your help.” Rafael nodded as she pulled the straps up her thighs. She wiggled a bit as she stretched the garment over her shoulders and into place. “Can you make sure the back is laying flat?” He slid his fingers under the fabric to flatten it against her skin, clearing his throat instead of speaking when he finished. “So?”

“Definitely keep it.” The hoarse voice didn’t sound like his, but he also couldn’t exactly control it. The white straps criss crossed against her skin, but did nothing to cover her. If anything they drew attention to her more intimate regions while still allowing him full access.

“The black or red next?”

“The red... it’s between those two anyway.”

Alice slipped the white one off and stepped into the red panties, turning as she pulled them up so he could see how the back left the lower portion of her ass exposed. She then slid the red dress over her head, tugging it in place, confirming the length barely reached her upper thighs. The empire waist and detailing around her breast helped define the area, though none of the detailing covered the thin fabric of the cups themselves.

“That one.” He breathed.

“Ok.” She smiled while picking up the unchosen garments and returning to her closet.

When she emerged the tag had been removed and the garment adjusted to fit perfectly. Alice pushed herself against him and pulled him to her lips, kissing him as his hands explored her body over the thin material, slipping beneath it at times to squeeze her ass or caress her sides.

“What do you want for dinner?” Alice asked as she broke their embrace, her thumb grazing across his cheek.

Rafael exhaled and rested his forehead against hers. “Who needs dinner...”

“I do.” She smiled, taking his hand in hers as she dragged him from her bedroom.

The light that poured in through her windows made the negligee even more transparent. Rafael followed her to the kitchen, trying his best to ignore the tightening feeling of his slacks.

“I changed my mind. I want to pick actual clothes for you… at least until after we eat.” He grumbled when she leaned against the counter to look at the different takeout menus she had pulled from a drawer.

Alice chuckled over her shoulder and motioned him closer. “Getting you worked up is kind of the point.” She smiled, tugging him closer when he reached her.

“I think you underestimate just how worked up you make me.”

“You left work at three just to see me,” Alice quickly lifted her brow at him, “I know how worked up you are.”

“You don’t play fair,” he smiled while running his hands over the loose fabric draped across her skin.

“If you don’t think I’m equally worked up right now, then you must not have been paying much attention when I barely spoke before mounting you on my couch.” Alice pushed up to kiss him again letting him tighten his hold on her for a moment before separating again and turning her attention back to the menus. “What do you want to eat?”

“I’m not sure yet.” Rafael dragged his finger up her inner thigh, slipping it beneath the edge of her panties when he leaned against the counter next to her to look over their food options.

“Now who isn’t playing fair?”

“Well… now that I know we’re not playing fair…” There was a slight smirk as he shrugged.

“Is this the game?” She smiled, pulling herself from his prying hand, “see who can get the other the most wound up before our dinner arrives?”

“Would you rather sit on the couch and patiently wait for our food to be delivered?”

“No,” Alice grinned, “as long you realize we can’t actually do anything until the food arrives…”

“I do, and you will hide in another room while I get the door. There is no way I’m taking the risk of anyone but me seeing you in this.” Rafael pinched his thumb and forefinger over the nipple that was visible and protruding beneath the mesh fabric. “Whether or not the food gets cold… that’s a different discussion.”

“I can almost guarantee the food will get cold.” Alice smirked, taking his hand from her breast and guiding it to the stack of menus. “Pick something.”


	9. Chapter 9

Her bed was disheveled, two bodies with legs intertwined wrapped in what covers had managed to remain on the on the mattress. The only hint of their clothes was the speck of translucent red fabric teetering on the edge of the bed closer to their feet.

“Would you rather have a dog or cat?” Rafael chest vibrated beneath her head, his fingers still lightly brushing through her hair. “You have a problem with my question?” Alice huffed without looking up to see his expression.

“You’re stretching the whole would you rather thing now.”

There had been over an hour of would you rather being bounced back and forth between them. Would you rather be considered intelligent or funny… a question they both answered the same way, at the same time. It had been too easy. Would you rather know how you’ll die or when you’ll die? Would you rather give up your love life or work life? That one prompted a follow up question on whether on not they could still have sex.

“I know,” Alice sighed, “I may be tapped for the evening.”

“I’m more of a dog person.” Rafael smiled.

Alice lifted herself so she could actually look at him. “Really?”

“Yes really. If I actually had the time for one I’d love to have a dog.”

“Hmmm...”

“Hmmm... what?”

“Nothing.” She seemed humored by something and he was determined to know what it was.

“That hmmm was something.” Rafael smirked while lifting both brows at her.

“I just prefer cats, that’s all.”

“How could you prefer cats to dogs?”

Alice sat up in her bed pulling the covers up to her waist, but not any higher. For a brief moment he thought it was a diversion tactic, but then she began defending her position on their ridiculous discussion on cats versus dogs.

“Cat’s are low maintenance. They do their own thing, demanding very little attention most of the time. They don’t have to go outside to go to the bathroom or for walks. You can leave them for a few days if needed without having to find someone to watch them. Also they’re cute.”

“You left out the fact that most cats are ornery little assholes.”

“That’s my favorite thing about them. They’re smarter and have more personality than a people pleasing dog.”

“You say that like dogs aren’t smart.”

“They aren’t.” She was a bit more augmentative than he’d expected her to be, especially considering the subject. She was also wrong.

“Dogs are loyal...”

“Needy.” She scoffed.

Rafael bit his lip hard to keep from laughing at the absurd argument they were having. “They’re loyal and can actually be trained, were as cats just bat your shit on the floor while walking across the counter that they shouldn’t have been on to begin with. And they only don’t go outside because they use a litter box, which is disgusting.”

“You can train them to use the toilet.” Rafael didn’t actually respond to that argument, merely looked at her as though she had lost her mind. “They also sell self cleaning litter boxes.”

“You’ve done research on this.”

Alice paused briefly, but only briefly. “I have. I’d have a cat if I didn’t basically live at the hospital.”

“I thought you said they weren’t needy?” Now he was just screwing with her, pushing to see if she could out last him in an argument… he kind of hoped she would.

“They’re not needy. I don’t think it’s fair to have an animal when you spend over a hundred hours of your week away from home.”

“You could hirer a pet sitter.”

“You want me to get a cat? I thought you didn’t like them.”

“I don’t. On top of everything else I’ve mentioned their fur gets everywhere.”

“So would a dogs, but dogs drool and bounce all over the place.”

“Cat’s run around the house at three in the morning purposely disrupting your sleep.”

He was still laying with his head on the pillow looking up at her when Alice rolled her eyes. “They’re nocturnal creatures, that’s when they hunt. It has nothing to do with purposely disrupting anyones sleep.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“Telling myself what? Facts?”

“You really hate dogs?” He asked.

“I never said I hated dogs. I said I preferred cats.”

Rafael chuckled when she smiled. “You very adamantly prefer cats.”

“Very adamantly?” She lifted a brow.

“I’ll speak more eloquently when your breast aren’t displayed between my face and yours.”

Alice curled into his side again, pulling the comforter so it covered everything but her head. “Better?”

“No.” He laughed while tightening his arms around her.

Alice let him pull her on top of his chest, her lips less than an inch from his as their eyes locked. The soft lines around them crinkled in a way that gave her face more expression. It was just a soft smile that drew the corners tighter, but she looked as though she were musing something over. And when those eyes were focused on him, like they were in this moment, he desperately wanted to know what she was thinking.

“Alice...” He started as her phone buzzed, vibrating softly against the surface of her nightstand.

Alice groaned while reaching for it as best she could without shifting too much from the position they were in. “Hensley.”

“Can I come over?” Rafael recognized the voice on the phone immediately.

Alice looked as shocked as he did which curbed his anger slightly, giving her the opportunity to respond. “Sonny? Are you drunk?” Not exactly the response he hoping for...

She pulled herself off Rafael and sat next to him, keeping herself covered this time. Rafael followed, sitting close enough that he could still hear Carisi through her phone. He could handle their friendship, he could handle their past, but he was nothing if not intensely passionate when it came to someone he was interested in and he hadn’t been this interested in a very long time. The problem was he’d only known her a week... which meant he really didn’t know her at all.

“I’ve only had a few.” Carisi slurred through the phone.

“Yeah...” Alice muttered while rolling her eyes, “you’ve had way more than a few.”

“Whatever, I’ll take a cab. Can I come over?”

“No, you can’t.”

“Come on Alice… I know you don’t like it when I call you like this, but I could really use a distraction.”

Alice glance at Rafael who was looking more and more pissed by the second. “Sonny, I’m in a relationship.” She sounded as though she were trying to remind him, hoping that in his drunken state he had just happened to have forgotten she was dating someone he worked with.

“No you’re not.”

“Yes I am, with Rafael... your ADA.”

Carisi’s end was silent and Alice tried to apologize with her eyes as she squeezed Rafael’s thigh. He didn’t reciprocate the gesture.

“But he said...” Carisi finally mumbled, sounding more in thought than actually speaking to her.

“He said what?” Alice snapped, her eyes narrowing on Rafael.

“He just kind of implied something had happened... I guess I misread it.”

“What did he say?”

“That he didn’t have anywhere else he’d rather be. I should have asked how things were before I called to invite myself over.” Sonny was slurring less now, the uncomfortableness of the conversation sobering.

“Yes you should have.” She huffed into the phone, but there was something new behind her eyes and Rafael couldn’t quite place it. She almost seemed upset. “Where are you?”

“At home.”

“And you’re not going to try to go anywhere?”

“No, I’m in for the night.” Carisi sighed.

“Ok. Goodnight Sonny.”

“Alice wait...”

“What?” She huffed impatiently, her attention had shifted to Rafael until Carisi had drawn her back to the phone.

“Are you going to tell him that I called you like this?”

“He’s sitting next to me.”

“Shit, Barba... I’m sorry. I didn’t...”

“I’m hanging up now Sonny.” Alice ended the call before he could respond.

“You just hung up on him?” Rafael was a little thrown at how harsh she’d been. He was also a bit relieved to see she seemed upset, hoping that most of it was directed towards Carisi and not at him.

“He’s not that fragile, let him stew while I decide if he owes you an apology or not.” Alice placed her phone back on her nightstand and looked at him expectantly, ensuring that some of her hostility was directed at him.

“I didn’t mean that I wouldn’t rather be with you, and technically I didn’t say that Rollins did.” Rafael paused to let her speak, but when she didn't he continued. “It was the day I left here looking disheveled…”

“You always leave here looking that way.” Alice smirked.

“Yes, but I don’t always go straight to the precinct.” Alice smiled, clearly becoming more amused as his story progressed. “I asked if they could make it quick and Rollins teased me about having somewhere I’d rather be. I was annoyed that our night was cut short and grumbled my response.”

“Which was?”

“Not anymore.”

“How pissed are you at Sonny?” She leaned into him and his arm absentmindedly wrapped around her.

“Extremely.”

“I can promise you he feels terrible.”

“You’re actually defending him?” Rafael pulled his arm from her. It was one thing that Carisi had called, that she couldn’t control, but to defend him...

Alice turned to face him, her eyes softening when she looked at his. “Can you put yourself in his shoes for a moment?”

“I’d rather not.”

Alice rolled her eyes. “I’ve known Sonny for a few years. If he had thought we hadn’t even made it a week he’d probably think our brief relationship wouldn’t have mattered... at least not for what he was calling for.”

“But we are together.”

“I said if he thought we hadn’t made it. I know we’re together and so does he now. I promise it won’t happen again.”

“You can’t promise that.”

Alice ran her hand through his hair, pulling him to look at her again. “How long have you known Sonny?”

“A few years.”

“Does he really strike you as the type to intentionally interfere with anyone’s relationship?”

She was right and he knew it, but it didn’t make him any less upset. If anything it was irritating him more that she was still defending Carisi instead of just agreeing with him. “He never struck me as the type to use someone for sex when he couldn’t have who he really wanted either.”

Alice was quiet, slowly blinking and nodding her head as his word echoed in his mind. 

“I didn’t mean that.”

“Yeah ya did.” Her lips pushed tightly together as she exhaled and climbed out of bed.

“No I didn’t,” Rafael followed her to the bathroom, “I was upset and said the first thing I thought of about Carisi that I could twist to sound negative. I didn’t think of how it made you look.” It truly wasn’t what he’d intended. He’d wanted to justify his anger, not insult her.

“I was using him as much as he was using me.”

“I know that, I just can’t understand how he didn’t have feelings for you.” He needed to fix this before she kicked him out. There was no way one stupid phone call and his ego could be their demise.

“What?” Alice had her robe pulled on and tied at the waist when she turned to face him again.

“I don’t understand how he could know you the way I do and not have feelings for you.”

“You’re jealous?”

“I thought that was obvious.” Rafael sighed.

Alice stared at him, her arms crossed under her chest. He didn’t know if she was actually thinking about her response or purposefully stretching out the silence to torment him. Whichever it was, her eyes didn’t leave his as she sized him up. It was both intimidating and intensely sexy.

“Don’t speak without thinking. I prefer silent brooding to flippant insults.”

“I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“I believe that.” She pinched the corners of mouth tighter and he hoped it was to fight off a smile or smirk… at least she was moving closer to him.

“Can we pretend I didn’t say what I said?”

“No.” Rafael felt his heart pounding in his chest. “I can let it go though.”

“You can?”

“I like you, more than I probably should considering I barely know you.” Rafael opened his mouth to speak, but she held her finger up to stop him. “If the situation were reversed I’d have taken the phone from you and told whoever was on the other end to fuck off.” They both laughed for the first time in what felt like hours. “I get jealousy and I get being angry with Sonny, just think before you speak next time. Part of what I’m attracted to is your wit, don’t turn it against me.”

“What else are you attracted to,” He smirked, pulling her into his arms again, “aside from my superior intellect.”

Alice rolled her eyes, but thankfully in an amused why this time. “You’ve got nice legs.” It was accompanied with a playful shrug and her fingers grazing around to his back.

“Is that it?”

“Your ass is nice too.” She tried, but failed to hold back the smirk as she squeezed his behind. “Very taut.”

“We’re ok?”

Alice gently ran her hand up his chest, grazing her fingers across his cheek before settling them in his hair. “I don’t know, are we ok?”

“I’m allowed to be pissed at Carisi?”

“You’re the one who has to work with him.” She shrugged. “He’s still my friend.”

“Is it ok if I work up to being ok with that again?”

“Yes.”

“So, we’re ok?”

“Yeah, we’re ok.”

Rafael tightened his arms around her and pressed his forehead to hers. “You want to go back to bed?”

“Sure.” She nodded, ditching the robe as they crawled back under the covers.

“Would you rather be able to freeze time or travel through it?”

Alice cuddled closer, wrapping her arms around him as she rested her head on his chest. “I’m not frozen if I can freeze time I assume?”

“No.”

“That could be helpful during surgery…” she traced imaginary shapes on his chest as she thought for a moment, “of course there’s a lot of things it’d be neat to see if I could time travel…”

“You have to pick one.”

“I’d rather be able to freeze time.”

“So you’d give up the ability to see how Stonehenge was built or an original Shakespeare play in order to have extra time in surgery?”

“It’s a fair trade if it means saving a life.” She shrugged.

“Is that a concern in the world of plastic surgery?”

“Every surgery has risk, and I’m a proficient general surgeon. I tend to get pulled for a variety of surgeries, especially if theirs an accident involving multiple people who need surgery at once.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“I’m an on staff surgeon, not private practice… we tend to work outside of our specialties when needed. What about you, which would you choose?”

“I’d rather travel through time.” He smiled, breathing a bit easier now that they seemed to be returning to their normal.


	10. Chapter 10

Alice giggled at the face he made. He hadn’t felt it had been that expressive, but her amusement in his reaction said otherwise. It wasn’t his fault he had an expressive face...

Rafael rolled his eyes. “I’d like to see you deal with a mime.”

“They really are bothersome.” She smirked, linking her arm with his as they continued their walk through Central Park.

“I’m glad I amuse you.”

“I’d have been just as annoyed if he had bothered me, but...” she shrugged, letting the smirk grow larger, “you are really cute when you’re irritated.”

“Cute?”

“To me at least.”

Rafael smiled and tugged her closer by their linked arms, tucking her under his shoulder. “So… lunch?”

“I could eat.”

“What kind of food are you in the mood for?”

“I’m open to anything.” Alice’s shrug was mostly felt under his arm, not seen, but it still made him chuckle.

“You realize you always make me pick food.”

“Yes.” He smiled at her lack of argument.

“Why?”

“I make split second decisions all day everyday... a lot of which could alter someone’s life permanently. I have a tendency to avoid making trivial decisions.”

“And food is trivial?”

“I could care less what I eat, just that I eat at some point.”

“You’d be ok with a hot dog from a street vendor then?” This sounded terrible to him, but he was curious how far he could push.

“If that’s what you want.” Alice shrugged.

Rafael rolled his eyes and chuckled. “It’s not.

“What do you want then?” There was a faint hint of a smile being pulled back and he wondered if she had known he was messing with her or if she just found his snobbery amusing.

“Would you prefer to sit down at a restaurant or eat outside?” New York was filled with so many options for food, and he knew of a few exceptional food trucks. Mentioning the hot dog vendors had given him the idea of possibly eating outside in Central Park... somewhere far away from mimes.

“It is a pretty day...” Alice seemed to be taking in their surroundings as she thought, “eating outside could be nice. I feel like I’m always stuck indoors.”

“How do you feel about grilled cheese?”

“I’m a fan.”

Rafael smiled and guided her toward the park exit closest to the a food truck that made some of the best grilled cheese sandwiches he’d ever had.

They were back in the park not thirty minutes later, spreading their lunch out on a blanket Alice had purchased from a shop they’d passed. At first he’d thought it was unnecessary, but seeing their lunch sitting with a barrier from the grass... it had been a wise choice.

“Really?” Rafael scolded when Alice snatched one of his tator tots.

“I just wanted one.”

“Then you should have ordered some for yourself.” He said it teasingly, not really caring if she stole his food or not.

“Why would I waste an entire order when I can just steal one of yours?”

He assumed she was smiling because she was normally smiling when she retorted back at him, but he couldn’t see her face. He was sitting with his legs crossed, a feat she’d been impressed he’d accomplish. He decided it’d be best not to take her comment about most men his age not being that flexible anymore as an insult... the teasing tone in her voice had been obvious. Alice had made herself comfortable, leaning against his chest as they ate. Their food was within arms reach and he’d lifted the paper tray holding his tator tots off the blanket when she’d stolen one.

“Yes, but it never truly stops at one.”

He felt her chuckle before her head tilted enough for her eyes to meet his. “I’ll share my french fries.”

“I told you to get tator tots,” he smirked when she pouted, “their fries are terrible.”

“The sandwich is really good though. I’m pretty sure this is the best grilled cheese I’ve had in a long time.”

“What’s on yours?”

“Four types of cheeses... I didn’t ask what all came on the four cheese option, but one is definitely feta. I added avocado and tomato to it.”

“So you _can_ make choices when it comes to food.”

“I’m still always going to make you pick the restaurant.” She smirked.

The weekend ended much too quickly and Rafael found himself drowning in paperwork in his office. His Monday was halfway over and he had yet to leave his office, not event to grab lunch.

“Hey Carmen?” He was adjusting the tie he’d loosened like he always did when he left his office, Carmen glancing up at him from her desk. “I’m running to the deli around the corner to grab a sandwich, you want anything?”

“A bowl of vegetable soup.”

“Soup? It’s ninety degrees outside.”

“It’s not ninety degrees in here.” Carmen smirked when he rolled his eyes. “And Mr. Barba,” Rafael turned back to her having started toward the elevator, “do not come back with a cookie.”

“That’s the best part of grabbing a sandwich for lunch.” He had every intention of bringing back a cookie, only smiling at his assistant as he slipped out of sight before she could scold him for the number of cookies he ate from that deli each week.

The trip to the deli was painless enough. One sandwich, one bag of chips, a bowl of soup for Carmen, and two cookies later he was back at his desk. Carmen had rolled her eyes at the cookies, but remained silent when he let her take her soup from the bag still containing his food.

“Ones for later.”

“Sure it is.” She smirked while settling in at her desk to eat.

Rafael smiled making his way to his own desk. The cookies were sat aside while he ate the sandwich and chips, opting for water with the meal though coffee would accompany the cookies.

He had just brewed a fresh pot and made a cup to enjoy with one of his cookies when Carmen knocked on his door.

“Yes?”

“Detectives Carisi and Rollins are here.”

“Is it too late to tell them I’m not?” Carmen gave him an unamused look and he sighed, glancing at his cookie. “Send them in.”

“We need a warrant.” Rollins didn’t wait for him to actually acknowledge her before speaking.

“I can’t just get one without a reason.”

He watched the blond detective roll her eyes, Carisi being the one to actually explain the case they had yet to even call him about. Apparently a girl was missing and the last person she had been seen with was the building’s super, who also hadn’t been seen. “We need a warrant to triangulate his phone and search his apartment.”

They always did this, came to his office frantic for something time sensitive with little to nothing to go on while expecting him to just make it happen. “I’m going to need a bit more for his apartment, but I can get you access to his location.”

“If he even has his phone on...” Rollins muttered as Rafael pulled his phone to his ear to make the call.

“Get me more then.” He huffed, listening to the phone ring.

Rollins was disgruntled, but when wasn’t she... Carisi remained quieter than normal only serving to irritate Rollins further.

The warrant was easy to obtain, especially since one of the more lenient judges was working that day. It came thorough moments after he ended the call. “I’m sending it to you now.”

“We’ll work on something for his apartment.” Rollins grumbled as she walked towards the door. “You coming Carisi?”

“I’ll meet you back at the precinct.”

Rafael had started back to his desk, his back to both detectives when he squinted his eyes shut at Carisi’s comment.

“Whatever.” Rollins shrugged, closing the door behind her on her way out.

“We have nothing to talk about.” Rafael stated, turning to face Carisi again.

“I wanted to apologize...”

“I know you do, but that doesn’t change the fact that you called her.”

“But...”

“I get that you two have history… or whatever, but it doesn’t make it right.”

“I was upset and had drank more than I should have… I didn’t think and...”

Rafael’s shoulders lifted with the breath he took in while glaring at Carisi. “That doesn’t give you the right to call her up like that... even if she weren’t my girlfriend.”

They both froze at his use of the label. He hadn’t discusses it with Alice, it had only been a week. Eleven days technically... still too early to be throwing about the word girlfriend.

“I know...” Carisi looked like a kid who had just lost his puppy.

“Self pity won’t fix this.” He scoffed.

“What will then?”

“Time.” Rafael wasn’t going to stand in the way of them being friends, but he’d be damned if he’d let Carisi think he was happy about it.

“Barba…”

“Give it time Carisi.” His voice was clipped, a signal that the conversation was over, a signal that Carisi thankfully picked up on, looking back over his shoulder as he sulked out of his office.

Rafael settled back at his desk, braking a small piece of cookie off and popping it in his mouth as he frowned at the cold cup of coffee sitting next to it.

The next day arrived with a train wreck, quite literally… a subway train derailed, closing down an entire station and seeming to disrupt the flow of every form of traffic. Rafael noticed more people walking, more cars on the road… though this may have been because his normal fifteen minute commute had dragged on for thirty minutes and he was still only halfway to work.

Liv’s name flashed across the screen of his phone causing him to sigh as he answered. “Barba.”

“Good morning to you too.” She was definitely amused with how unenthusiastically he’d answered his phone.

“Do you ever go home?”

“I’m actually still fighting Noah over what shoes to wear, so yes I do go home. Amanda however, she may have slept at the precinct.”

“And she found something?” Rafael assumed he’d be rerouting his driver.

“Yeah, maybe… Noah we’ve got to go!” She had at least pulled the phone away before yelling across her apartment to her son. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, but can you meet her at the precinct and see if she’s got enough for a warrant on the super’s place?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Great. I’ll see you shortly then.”

The phone went dead and Rafael glanced at his driver, who was already making his way to the turn lane through, the rearview mirror. “At least the precinct is closer.” Rafael shrugged. The one silver lining of her call being that he’d get out of this dreadful traffic sooner.

Carisi glanced up from his desk when Rafael entered the bullpen, neither making the effort to greet the other, but with the busyness of the morning it went unnoticed.

“I have surveillance from a shop in Tribeca putting the super and our missing girl together at three this morning.” Rollins was sitting at her desk, the laptop pulled up to what she wanted to show him.

Rafael watched the footage, the distressed looking girl and the man identified as the building’s super. “You have time stamps for this video?”

“Does it matter? Look at her.”

“It helps.” Rafael had his phone to his ear calling Carmen to get a list of what judges were working that morning before Rollins could clap back.

He had two options, Judge Mathis who would make him jump through more hoops than he was up for that early in the morning or Judge Faulkner. The latter wasn’t necessarily easier, but of the two he’d much rather deal with Faulkner. The call was placed, the situation, evidence explained and twenty minutes later he was sending Rollins the warrant to search the super’s apartment.

“Just do me a favor and take Carisi with you.” He huffed as he pressed send.

“Why?” As usual she looked and sounded entirely too interested.

“He’s just annoying me.”

“He annoys me too.”

“Do you want me to get you the next warrant you ask for?” He raised a brow at her.

“Carisi let’s go.” Rollins smirked, her eyes never leaving Rafael as she called across the open space to her partner.

He rubbed his eyes when he heard the elevator doors close, hoping that the day would go much faster than the morning had. He was half tempted to text Alice, but it was only eight and he assumed she’d be sleeping. He could wait until the afternoon, considering he doubted he’d be able to leave work early anyway.

“Did Rollins have enough for a warrant?” Liv’s voice drew his mind from Alice, her healed booted tapping along the floor as she quickly made her way to her office.

“She did.”

“I’ll get you up to date then.” Liv gestured for him to follow.

It was close to two when he finally made it to his office. The super’s apartment giving clues, but nothing considered an actual lead as to where he was taking the girl. The hotline was full of possible sightings of the two, from as far north as the Canadian border to as close as New Jersey… quite a few from neighboring states and even one from California. Considering they were spotted in Tribeca less than twelves hours before and their photo’s had been passed out to all TSA agents, he rather doubted that last one was viable.

He had stuck around the precinct until the detectives began circling the same information for a third time. The case was one the DA wanted him involved in enough to speak if needed, but so far that hadn’t been necessary. Local news affiliates were covering the story well enough.

He texted Alice that, baring a break in the case, he should be able to leave at a relatively decent hour and suggested dinner at a restaurant not far from her place. There was no actual point in asking what her preference was since she’d just defer to him anyway. He then dug into the redactions on the Davies motion that Carmen had placed on his desk before he’d arrived.

The day was busy, no busier than normal, but still busy. SVU hadn’t called since he’d left and when his phone rang close to five, he almost cursed under his breath fearing his night with Alice would be forfeited. Instead he smile when he saw her name flash across the screen.

“Alice.” He smirked as he answered.

“Don’t get too excited, I’m calling with bad news.”

Rafael furrowed his brow. “Oh?”

“Yeah, I’m stuck at the hospital for at least one more surgery and then I’m not sure… I doubt I’ll leave though.”

“That’ll put you at seventy two hours.”

“It seems pointless to go home well after midnight just to turn around and be back by eight… besides they need all the extra help they can get today.”

“Did something happen?” His morning commute was the farthest thing from his mind.

“The train derailment… it’s all over the news.”

“I’ve been stuck at the precinct most the day working our own tiny crisis… I heard though.” Rafael sighed. He hadn’t flipped the news since leaving for work.

“It was early in the morning commute, but still late enough for the station to be busy.”

“It happened at the station?”

“Yeah, one subway car derailed as it came into the station taking out the car leaving, the impact pushing both trains into the platform. It’s was a mess. Mercy, Presby, and Bellevue took on the majority of the victims… we’ve been swamped all day.”

“Will you get stuck there again tomorrow evening?”

“No. Policy dictates you're cut exactly twelve hours past a seventy two hour shift. I won’t be scheduled for any surgeries tomorrow starting after eight in the morning and forced to leave at five.”

“Forced?” Rafael smirked at her word choice.

“Yes forced,” Alice chuckled, “I’ve had to be walked out more than once.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Rafael shook his head, lightly chuckling with her.

“I'll try to fit in a nap so I'm not too exhausted when I get off.”

Rafael frowned slightly as he ended the call. He’d been looking forward to seeing her and instead he’d had to spend the day avoiding a sulking Carisi, something that was making it very hard to continue to hate him… He found himself hoping for a break in the case, telling himself it was for the safe of the missing girl despite knowing he just wanted something to keep his mind occupied now that his evening was open again.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this story is going... I had a new idea and just kind of went with it. I will pick at it as ideas come but it may be slower going.


End file.
